


Awaken

by Timothyanime1205



Category: Akira (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Action, Alcohol Usage, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Biker Gangs, Cyberpunk, Disturbing Themes, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Gang Violence, Gen, Mental Instability, Mentions of Sex, OC is childhood friends with Kaneda and Tetsuo, Psychological Horror, Rape/Non-con Elements, Science Fiction, Smoking, Sooo Much Angst, Supernatural Elements, Trauma, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Violence, brief nudity, drug usage, more tags to be added soon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-06
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:35:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 21
Words: 93,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23038702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Timothyanime1205/pseuds/Timothyanime1205
Summary: The mysterious kid who was put in the orphanage as an abandoned child, later to make friends with two others named Kaneda and Tetsuo. The lone kid's name is Hasegawa Nimura but prefers to be called by his first name as he isn't one for formalities. He joins Kaneda's new gang called The Capsules in their juvenile years and Nimura was fine with the situation he was in. But there's alot of things that neither Kaneda or Tetsuo know about their childhood friend. Does Nimura know what he's hiding or is he clueless as the rest of the pack? How long will this air of content keep up with him until it all collapses?
Relationships: Kaneda Shoutarou/Kei, Kaori/Shima Tetsuo, Original Character & Kaisuke, Original Character & Kaneda Shoutarou, Original Character & Kaori, Original Character & Kei, Original Character & Shima Tetsuo, Original Character & Yamagata
Comments: 67
Kudos: 29





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! This will be my first fanfiction pertaining to the old school manga and anime movie AKIRA created by Otomo Katsuhiro. I realized throughout the fandom community that there aren't many AKIRA fanfictions, so I decided to help in the cause to write my own, along with my own OC. I hope you enjoy the new story.
> 
> I do not own AKIRA manga or characters. All materials are owned by Otomo Katsuhiro  
> OC belongs to me

The atmosphere was dull, lonely, and tense. The building he was entering felt cold and hostile, he didn't like it already. He felt numb even if the adult with him was holding his hand.

“Don't worry little one, you're going to love it here and make friends.” The adult holding his hand walking down the blank hallway told him.

Love it here…? Make friends…? Is this place anything nice and friendly? It all felt scary, dark, and unfriendly.

From the looks and atmosphere, the woman holding him is blind to what's really happening. The kids in this orphanage looked hostile and gave him antagonizing looks, like as if he was an alien, a creature that they are scared of. It was full of dislike. He saw a kid silently crying in the corner when they were passing. The kid had short raven black hair, dark tan skin, and was wearing a teal collar shirt, beige shorts with knee high socks and brown shoes.

He knew this wasn't gonna be a nice and friendly place after seeing all of this.

“I wanna go home...why did Oka-san and Ota-san send me away?” The boy thought in melancholy.

5 days later

Walking over to the water fountain, he winced slightly with his new cuts and bruises. This has been the 3rd time this week he gotten beaten up by the older boys as he is the new kid here. How did it all start?

The kid was sitting on a step near a wall by the school building near the sleeping quarters. He was eating his lunch, until older boys first approached him. They smacked his food out of his hand before kicking him down to the floor hard. There the boy got his first few cuts on his elbows and forearms, as well as his right knee. After the older boys were laughing and one of them went to grab the boy, he tripped over the older kid before punching him in the jaw. The latter fell to the ground from the hit. The older boy's friends stood in shock of what just unfolded, before glaring down at the black haired boy who was getting up.

“You're gonna pay for that, brat!” One of them spat. Clenching his fists, he got prepared for what was gonna come from the 3 of them. He wasn't going to go down without a fight.

Now at the water fountain washing off his fresh wounds, he did his best to keep the pain in check with cold water. He hated this place so much, and he hated the people and society around him in this place. Why did his parents send him away to this forsaken environment? What made them put their only son here? What was it? And why did they do this when now he is suffering? He was still washing his wounds to clean out his cuts to wash off the blood. He wishes he can leave this place so that-

“Hey. You're the new kid right?” The one with black hair and onyx eyes asked.

“Yeah. What's it to you?” The black haired kid asked, becoming a little defensive after receiving the beating he got a few minutes ago.

“We saw those kids beating you up last minute but you still fought them head on. We wanted to make sure you were ok from those wimps.” The onyx eyed boy replied.

Evidently the slightly wounded kid dropped his guard a little, not expecting a not so hostile act coming from them.

“I'm Kaneda Shotaro, but just call me Kaneda, and beside me is Tetsuo.” Said boy introduced. “What's your name?”

“I'm...Hasegawa Nimura. Hasegawa is my last name, I prefer you call me Nimura.” The latter replied.

The one called Tetsuo, hesitantly shifted closer to Nimura. “Do you wanna come play with us? It'd be nice to have another friend join us.”

Nimura was very surprised. He never had kids his age ask him to play before, as his parents sheltered him from having any interactions or friends from his former neighborhood. Feeling a little happy inside Nimura simply nodded his head.

“Yes. I would...like that, Tetsuo.” Not even a second later, the three boys began to make their way playing soccer with each other, climbing the jungle gym, going on the slide, all other things. They grew close to each other like brothers, from playing with each other to defending each other to sleeping in beds in their room, Nimura had actually felt better meeting both Kaneda and Tetsuo.

A few months passed by, and unfortunately Kaneda was sick with a bad cold and fever, therefore he had to stay in doors and couldn't play outside. The air was chilly, as autumn leaves blew and fell to the ground of the playgrounds. Nimura and Tetsuo were sitting on the swings enjoying the scenery.

“Hey Tetsuo...can I ask you something?” Nimura reluctantly asked. The raventte boy looked to his reddish-blackish eyed friend.

“Yeah. What is it?” Tetsuo wondered what his friend would ask him.

“What was it like to be with your parents?” Nimura asked, though his tone was a little shaky.

Tetsuo's eyes widened a little at the question. What made Nimura ask him that so suddenly?

"My mommy and daddy…? I...they were…" Tetsuo had a hard time trying to reply to his friend's question. He was hesitant in answering the question.

“Well...my mommy...she was kind to me...and daddy…well he wasn't as nice as my mommy...sometimes he would hit me for doing small things that I...wasn't supposed to do. But one day…” Tetsuo gulped, trying to refrain himself from crying. Nimura noticed this and paled a little.

“One day...my parents abandoned me...they left me...I don't know why but I never saw them again...and then I got sent here because my parents left me.” This time, tears fell out of Tetsuo's eyes whilst explaining his situation with his parents.

“Tetsuo I-I'm sorry for asking that, I-I didn't mean to make you cry...please forgive me.” Nimura stuttered, pleading for his friend to not cry anymore.

“It's ok...I'm not mad at y-you for asking me that.” Tetsuo replied with a sniffle.

“I'm sorry Tetsuo...it's just because my parents...never showed me enough love or any type of affection. On top of that we always moved from one place to another. The affection, love, and part of my childhood was sheltered and rather they tried their best to keep me in within their circles. But that one day I came here, was the same day that I was sent away by my parents.” Nimura explained, eyes casted down on the pavement.

Tetsuo's expression changed to shock and sadness to Nimura's story. He looked at said boy, who avoided Tetsuo's concerned look. Nimura inhaled to say his next sentence.

“I don't know what did I wrong, but I felt like my parents decided to send me away because...they...didn't love me. I felt abandoned, and I don't understand why they did that to me…I was alone...it felt lonely that I didn't have anyone there with me.” Nimura finished. It was true, he didn't understand their reasons of what his parents sending him away to the orphanage. They didn't show enough love and affectionate to him like normal parents would.

Tetsuo patted his friend's back, trying to sooth him from his despairing state. He realized they both have similar backgrounds in terms of what their parents did. 

“It's gonna be ok...I'm here for you. Me and Kaneda are here for you, Nimura. We're gonna be together for life.” Tetsuo reassured him, which made Nimura raise his head to meet Tetsuo's eyes. 

“R-really? Are you s-s-sure…?” Nimura asked trembling. Tetsuo nodded with a smile. 

“Yeah. Because you're my friend. Me and Kaneda are gonna be always here for you.” Hearing those words, it made Nimura feel happy despite not smiling. This happy feeling was something he had never felt before.

“Thank you Tetsuo...that makes me feel alot better.” And with that they left the swings to check up on Kaneda.

Since that day, Nimura stood by Tetsuo and Kaneda. Kaneda showed him the fun and exciting sides to have fun, and helped him how to defend himself better, as well as looked out for each other, while Tetsuo showed him the amount of trust, respect, and honesty they have in a friendship, as they have several similarities between their pasts and share each other's past experiences.

Small time skip ( 5-6 years later)

Kaneda, Tetsuo and Nimura were looking up at the orange sky. The sun was setting over them.

"I really can't stand this place anymore. It's a hell hole, we need to get out of this place." Kaneda spat, kicking a pebble into the jungle gym. Tetsuo looked at him from the side while Nimura continued to look up at the sky, listening.

"What are you gonna do then?" Tetsuo asked, sitting on a bench. Kaneda was in his thoughts, his eyes trained into the distance. Nimura looked at Kaneda, waiting for this response.

"Tired of this society. The way these people treat us, those damn bullies that fight with us every other day. No one in this city cares, not the people, not the government, no one. That's why...we're gonna be our own group. We're gonna be a group that goes against those that wronged us in this society." Kaneda conveyed, a firm expression on his face.

"Like a gang basically." Nimura added. Kaneda shouted yes at his response.

"A gang huh? Breaking the law when we're only 11 years old. Heh yeah sure." Tetsuo replied.

"Pffft I'm 12, you're the one who's younger than me. Idk if I should let you two in my game though since Tetsuo is younger and Nimura is a nerd." Kaneda teased. Tetsuo glared at him for the remark while Nimura simply shrugged.

"Tch stop belittling me Kani, I can handle myself in a gang." The raven haired boy hissed at his friend. The two of them were bickering back and forth about it. Nimura turned his attention to his two childhood friends, and in that moment he felt content. Most of his life wasn't affectionate. It was lonely, dull, and his parents were more into working themselves off than trying to spend time with him. Coming here to the orphanage, he made his friends here, Kaneda and Tetsuo. He felt content that life was starting off good for him in his preteen years.

"Hey Mura you alright there? You look spaced out." The sound of Kaneda's voice made Nimura blink before he looked at them clearly.

"I'm fine. In fact I rather be with you guys in a gang than to be separate. We've helped each other since we first met. If it's anyway, I'd rather go with you guys." Nimura concluded, before looking at the sky. The two friends could of sworn they saw Nimura ghost a smile on his lips but they couldn't get another look since Nimura had looked the other way. 

It made Nimura feel happy, an emotion he never felt before because of his blurry, yet closed in life he had before he was sent away from the orphanage.

And indeed, Nimura was happy.


	2. Maturity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now 15, Nimura spends his school life with his two best friends, Kaneda and Tetsuo, along with new friends apart of their gang called The Capsules. When someone messes with the gang, Nimura mysteriously shows the idiot how bad things could get when they mess with the gang.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 is here! Just to let you guys know that the first 5 chapters will take place before the events of Akira. The time between this chapter and the canon timeline is 6 months. But for now I hope you enjoy this chapter
> 
> I do not own Akira or it's characters. All materials are owned by Otomo Katsuhiro
> 
> OC belongs to me

Timeskip

“Man these teachers are boring, when the hell school is gonna be over?” A tall, yet lanky and tan skin teen groaned out.

“Another damn 2 hours...stupid damn class.” Kaneda muttered out.

“These bozos don't really do anything except make us bored to the point our brains fall out.” A short teen with a more rebellious looking hairstyle and wearing a shirt and necktie growled.

In the midst of this semi-chaos classroom, Nimura was beside Tetsuo, with Kaneda to his left, and two others in front, Yamagata and Kai, listening to whatever their instructor was saying. While his friends were slacking off, he was the only one paying attention to make out the notes and possible assignments. As much as he hated the vocational training school, he still knew he had to pass. Tetsuo just did his best and pretended to care about his work, but Kaneda, Yamagata, and Kai were rather careless about their success or not. They'd prefer riding their bikes and going to the Harukiya and getting high on pills than coming to school to listen to the instructor's boring lessons. Not that Nimura hated the gang lifestyle with Kaneda and them, after all he is a member of The Capsules.

Nimura was the smarter one out of the group. Despite hanging out with the gang, he made sure to do his assignments, and also help out his friends who couldn't understand because they didn't pay attention or didn't do it at all *cough* *cough* Kaneda, though some of the times he would get frustrated because even though he completed his assignments, the instructor wouldn't collect them, and would also be hearing Kaneda's annoying whine, saying he had him ‘help’ his assignment for nothing. Although he brushed it off, because 80% of the class he's in don't even bother to do their assignments or better yet pay attention, or even care if they passed or not. So the school alone as a grade is nowhere near the line for passing. Then again it was a delinquent school so it didn't matter to the juveniles/students attending here. Despite all this he made sure to stay away from the gym teacher's bad side, who everyone calls him by Jaws, because of how flamboyant and sharp his jaw is.

Looking at both his childhood friends, Tetsuo's still the same, only taller than how he was in childhood but slightly shorter than him, his hair is straighter and still short, and normally wears a teal sweatshirt with jeans and black boots. He sometimes has a scowl on his face, or with a tired expression. Kaneda on the other hand grew with a little more hair, having his spikes go a little over his eyebrows, and wearing a orange/black striped sweatshirt with beige pants. At night though during their usual night rides he wears a red leather jacket with a design of a capsule pill in the back along with red pants and red boots. His personality changed, becoming egotistical, arrogant and a player with the girls in the school, most likely fucked half of them here and has a girlfriend who's the school nurse. 

Nimura, has changed the most. His hair grew longer, it now sports an undercut design and is dyed a burgundy red with small bangs reaching to his eyebrows. He is the same height as Kaneda, and sports a black button down shirt with black jeans, and white sneakers. His personality is laid back and chill, a little introverted like Tetsuo, and always as a calm, stoic expression. His nighttime outfit is a black, skin tight bodysuit, with a light black jacket, gray boots and white gloves for when riding his bike. Instead of wearing goggles, he wears black shades when riding his bike. He isn't as wild as most of his fellow bikers, but he does have fun with them which would be riding at high speed, drinking at the Harukiya, taking out their new bike enemies known as the clowns, and compete against Kaneda since he likes to be a show off. 

“I'm gonna fucking die in this damn classroom with this assface teaching nonsense.” Yamagata blurted out, pulling out a newspaper to read.

“You're gonna look at the results from gambling yesterday?” Kaisuke asked, finding the contents of the newspaper interesting.

“Course I am. It's always fun to gamble to your heart's content.” Yamagata responded.

Kaneda shook his head smirking while reading his comic, Nimura was into his drawing he was making, a drawing for customizing his bike since he wrote down the important notes from his bland instructor. Tetsuo soon took interest into Nimura's drawing of his bike. 

“You're customizing your bike, Nimura? The ravennette asked with curiosity. The thing he admires about Tetsuo is the teen's knowledge and fascination about motorcycle customizations and designs. It amazes Nimura to the point that he considers Tetsuo the one to go to for customizations, and goes to Kaisuke for mechanics and additional bike materials.

“Yeah, I was thinking of adding a few features to my bike, such as a black titanium suspension to the left of my bike, as well as a nitro glow light on the bottom. What do you think though?” Nimura asked.

Tetsuo processed the information of how Nimura plans on customizing his bike, as well as looking at the sketches of the wanted features onto the bike. Tetsuo looked at the drawing, studying it before showing it back to Nimura.

“These are...actually nice customizations you wanna add. The idea for you to put double mirrors, as well as a suspension piece for when driving up rugged roads is thoughtful. Though I would say that the new paint job is not your usual color. You usually like dark or neutral colors. But it's really up to you to keep the purple. But Kai will need to have this." Tetsuo replied. Before Nimura could reply, a metallic object ricochet from the wall, hitting Yamagata in the cheek. The aforementioned teen shrieked from the impact, rubbing his cheek before whipping his head around with an angry expression.

"Ok who the fuck flung this shit at me?!" Yamagata yelled, holding an object appearing to a half of a pen. Tetsuo scowled at the commotion while Nimura sighed, figuring it's gonna be one hell of a morning now that some dumbass is messing with the gang. Kaneda and Kaisuke rose up from their seats, both of them with glares that spelled doom.  
"Whoever you are, man up and fucking admit it you punk!" Kaneda shouted, ready to put that asshat in their place for messing with his gang members. 

"Yamagata-san! Kaneda-san! Kaisuke-san! Stop this right now and sit down! You three are being disruptive and disrespectful to the class!" The instructor yelled, a stern expression at the three delinquents. The trio ignored him, trying to find out who was the culprit that flung the metallic object straight into Yamagata's face. As much as both Tetsuo and Nimura were part of the gang, the latter did not want to get involved with any scuffle at the moment due to his exhaustion. Tetsuo on the other hand didn't even care, he rather just tune it out and not bother with whoever the fuck that punk was. 

"So nobody wanna fucking step up huh? Everybody wants to be pussy right?" Kaneda spat, word laced with venom.

"If you were brave enough to do it, why not stand up to it now!?" Kaisuke yelled, cracking his knuckles.

"For the last time! You 3 stop this nonsense and sit down! You're causing a great disturbance to the class!" The instructor snapped, having enough of trying to defuse the situation and continue to teach the class. Yamagata this time turned around to face the teacher with irritation. 

"So you're not gonna point out and yell at who threw this damn object at me!? You've gotta be fucking kidding me!" Yamagata yelled back, pointing out how the instructor is not even considering he's the victim.

"I did not see who was the individual that threw the object at you so I can't penalize them for it." The instructor stated bluntly. Nimura looked at the instructor with a deadpan look. Of course these teachers wouldn't care about the well being of their students nor whoever passes but will be dead set on sending someone to the office for 'disrupting the class'. 

"What the fuck?! So Yama is to blame for something that he didn't even do?!" Kaneda shouted, much to the teacher's agitation, as Kaisuke was saying how any of those teens in the back could be responsible for throwing the object. It got to the point where the teacher threatened to bring Mr.Takoba to the class to teach the 3 boys discipline. As much as the trio wanted to sock him and the asshole who threw the object, they had to object to sit down and continue the rest of the class, albeit in a sour mood.

Nimura couldn't say whether or not Tetsuo was irritated about what happened other than the commotion that occurred in the last 15 minutes ago, because Tetsuo had a tense face. But the moment he heard a teen laughing quietly to himself in the back on his right side, Nimura sneaked a glance, and saw a teen with slicked back black hair, black eyes, pale skin and glasses with a smug expression. He wore a dark colored jean jacket, a white t shirt, with khakis and baby blue and white sneakers. The moment the stoic teen saw he pulled out the bottom part of a broken pen, Nimura knew who the culprit was. Tetsuo took notice of Nimura's intense staring and followed his line of sight to the perpetrator. 

"Let's not continue staring. We'll deal with him later. He thought he was so low to not have classmates like me with a very observant nature." Nimura huffed quietly. Tetsuo let out a chuckle at his response. The stoic teen usually isn't one who will start shit or join a scuffle unless it's going against the clowns, but seeing how nonchalant and careless that asshole was when it came to flinging the shit at Yamagata made Nimura want to have a 'nice' chat with him. 

"I thought you weren't one for any bullshit unless it was the clowns, Mura." Tetsuo teased with a smirk. Nimura simply cracked his neck.

"Sometimes circumstances change bro. The stunt he pulled is something malicious he wanted to commit. We'll get him back." Nimura replied.

"And what do you have in mind? I hope it's not something that involves a commotion." Tetsuo groaned at that, the teen didn't want to deal with anymore angst as he prefers to stray away from trouble in school. Nimura faced the board, a neutral expression plastered his face, and the ravenette couldn't decipher any emotion on his friend's face.

"You'll see. So will the 3 of them." Nimura answered. And with that they went back to hearing whatever their instructor was saying, well Nimura was at least. The moment the bell rang, the horde of students flocked to the entrance, ignoring whatever the instructor was explaining at a louder voice. Kaneda immediately walked out with Yamagata and Kaisuke, leaving the other two to catch up. Nimura however kept his pace at a slower speed, which prompted Tetsuo to look at him in confusion. What could his childhood friend be planning in a crowded hallway? 

Nimura was staring at the scheming teen who was somehow ahead of him and the gang. While the others didn't notice, Nimura kept his eyes on his head like a hawk watching it's prey. 

"I swear that fucking punk is so damn lucky I don't get to knock his lights out right now!" Yamagata yelled, his cheek still red from the harsh throw.

"I don't what that asshole thought he was, like picking on one of us? If we ever catch him, I'm gonna put him in his place." Kaneda growled, his face still sour.

"Tetsuo!" A light, feminine voice called out, snapping the boy out of his thoughts.

"Kaori…" He mused out, as she got close to him by his side. For as long as Nimura could remember, Kaori and Tetsuo met the same day that they started here at school. Unlike him, Kaneda, Tetsuo, and the gang, Kaori had a much more difficult life. Due to her father being a war veteran from World War III after Tokyo was nuked, he was injured and couldn't work anymore. Her mother died from stress and exhaustion from working two jobs, and this led to Kaori having to fend for herself and her father, leading her to attend school her as she couldn't afford a private institution. 

Her and Tetsuo met when he accidentally bumped into her, dropping her lunch. He felt awkward and embarrassed, but at the same time remorse for dropping it. They ended up being in the same class, and Tetsuo decided to buy her lunch out of an apology. She was surprised at first, but thanked him completely. They ended up seeing each other unexpectedly, one time Tetsuo drove his bike back to the dormitory, he found Kaori not far from the dorms getting harassed by some thug, which led Tetsuo to come to her defense. He drove her home afterwards. Since that day they got closer to the point it bloomed into a relationship and she got to know Nimura, Kaneda and later the rest of the gang. Their first kiss, let's just say Tetsuo surprised her by making the first move, albeit embarrassed but she didn't mind it since she had fallen for him.

Nimura is very fond of Kaori, seeing her as a sister because of her relationship with his childhood friend. In fact, aside from Tetsuo, she interacts mwith Nimura than the rest of the gang.

Nimura recoiled when he felt his ear get flicked, whipping his head to see Tetsuo flicked him in the ear.

"You were spaced out again and us two were trying to get your damn attention." Tetsuo said, retracting his hand.

"Sumimassen. Hi Kaori, I'm just watching the guy who threw the piece of a broken pen at Yamagata's face." He replied.

"Oh it's fine Nimura, you don't need to apologize. And why are you watching him?" Kaori asked, tilting her head to confusion.

"He's planning to do something to the punk, which I don't think is necessary." Tetsuo replied, with a deadpan look.

"He started it, so I'm finishing it." Nimura responded back.

The gang were outside, as Tetsuo and Kaori walked up further ahead.

"Hey you slowpokes, let's go we don't got all day!" Kaneda yelled at them, sour from this morning.

"Stop rushing Kani! Not's my fault that the asshole was messing with our gang!" Tetsuo shouted at him back.

The guy was leaning on a wall, so Nimura got close up to him. The moment the guy took a drag from his cigarette, Nimura stuck out his leg and roundhouse the teen's knee pit, making him yelp loudly and fall to the ground with a loud thud. Coughing could be hurd from the man below him due to the drag he took from his cigarette but didn't exhale it. All the commotion and chatter from the gang stopped, and they all looked to see Nimura bending down to the teen on the ground. The air was tense and abnormal.

~~KANEDA~~

He saw his childhood friend bend down to the disheveled teen. What was Nimura doing? Why the hell is he starting with some teen that they don't even know? The Capsules leader watched, but then hearing Nimura's words.

"You really thought you could get away with that huh? Flicking that broken piece at one of my gang members was a good decision to make?" He heard Nimura ask, and the bitterness and angry temper that was stagnant in him flared up once again. 

"So that fucker was the one who flicked that shit at me? I'm gonna kick his ass!" Yamagata yelled with anger, cracking his knuckles and was about to walk over there but Nimura stuck out his hand, halting the gang. Kaneda, albeit pissed now he knew what the punk did, was also confused at why his friend told everyone to stop.

"Guys, I got this." Nimura answered, before continuing his conversation to the teen. "Listen. I'm not one to scuffle with anyone or start bullshit, unless I'm with them, but by messing with The Capsules, you're asking my friends to beat you up. And they will beat you up." He said, and while his expression was neutral and stoic, it made the teen's neck hairs stand up because of the menacing aura Nimura was letting out. Kaneda sees Nimura grab the teen by the collar of his jacket, much to the teen's shock and fear.

"We don't like people like you messing with our gang. And why fling that piece at Yamagata? Was it to get the gang in trouble? For your own amusement or entertainment? Or is it because of revenge? In any case this doesn't sit well with all of us and I'm pretty sure you don't want my crew over there to beat the life out of you. But...mess with any of my crew, especially Kaneda or Tetsuo, you will regret the day you were conceived." Nimura said so calmly, not an ounce of anger that it made the teen bawling his eyes out and trembling at the cold, stoic look Nimura was giving him.

Kaneda was very surprised to see how calmly his friend was handling the situation. Because if it was him, he would of beat the shit out of him. Yamagata, Kaisuke, Tetsuo and the rest would've done the same. But Nimura was different compared to them. He had a calmer aura, didn't care about shit half the time unless it was important, and always had been the mediator in the gang. Kaneda admires his best friend in that sense, and despite him being the leader of The Capsules, he knew that Nimura would be the one to mediate and help him in everything. Kaneda points out he's the odd one out, because there are times when Kaneda knows Nimura well, and there are times when Nimura surprises Kaneda with unexpected results.

"I-I'm sorry that I flung the broken piece one at y-you guys. I swear it-it won't happen again!" The teen on the ground cried, faced stained with tears while Nimura held his jacket collar up.

"Now you can get out of our sights." He heard Nimura say, and the crying teen made a beeline for the school entrance.

"Hey Mura, let's just forget about that motherfucker and start rolling." Kaneda called out to his childhood friend. The aforementioned teen, who just got up and headed towards them. The hothead leader would settle shit like that with his fists, but seeing Nimura handle the situation so calmly yet menacingly towards the punk actually made him feel alot better. Compared to the clowns which all of them fight against, something petty like this, if Nimura is around, he'll let it handle that type of situation because he realized aside from him and Yamagata, Nimura was another feared member in the capsules to other outsiders, yet no one, not even Nimura himself knows why.

~~NIMURA~~

He was walking over to The Capsules, he realized that when they left the classroom, only Kaneda, Yamagata, Tetsuo, and Kaisuke was here, but now the rest of the gang was here. 

"Nimura are you ok? You were a little tense when you were confronting the teen there…" Kaori said, her expression was concerned. 

"I'm fine. I just needed to set some boundaries to that rowdy teen. It's all in control now but I appreciate your worry, Kaori." Nimura replied. As him and the gang were walking to the other parts of the school, the whole conversation was centered on his confrontation to that one teen.

"Say Nimura you never really go wild on anyone, even when fighting the clowns you keep your composure. And while you're calm you never display any emotion." Kai blurts out, with the gang agreeing.

"I don't see why me showing emotion to a instigator or our rival gang would change anything. I don't find anything wrong with it." Nimura responded back, walking beside Kaneda.

"That's not what he means, Mura. What he means is the way you show yourself, the amount of restraint you have is surprising. It's a unique trait you have, and it's kinda eerie for you to be doing that but it is also a neutral aspect of yourself." Kaneda answered Kai's point. The gang were saying agreements of yes and the like.

"I sport a stoic look whenever I confront someone? How long was I doing this?" He asked. Truth be told Nimura doesn't even notice that he has a emotionless look on his 99% of the time. Kaneda and Tetsuo gave Nimura the most deadpan expression in their lives, Yamagata had his eyebrows raised, Kaori was tilting her head in confusion, while Kai and the rest of the gang were baffled.

"Mura, me and Tetsuo have known you the longest, and that look you have right now is your default look everywhere you go. I know so Nimura." Kaneda explained, leaving Nimura to scratch the back of his neck and look another direction from this awkward atmosphere. That made Kaneda laugh and put an arm over his shoulder.

"See what I mean? You have that resting bitch face look, although with no emotion. Not saying there's anything wrong bro." Kaneda concluded, laughter dying down a bit as Nimura wasn't getting the joke.

"It's like one of those anime tropes you have, what it's called...it was...oh! It's dandere. You have like a dandere attitude." Kai finished

"Dandere huh? I guess this trait of mine suits me then." Nimura huffed out. He faced his gang members laughing a little at the moment.

"Heh you got a new nickname Mura." Tetsuo smirked, admitting the situation was a little funny. Nimura kept his face straight ahead, rubbing the back of his neck in awkwardness.

As they got to their other class in his god forsaken school, Tetsuo allowed Kaori to go first, earning whistles and coos from the gang minus Nimura. 

"Oh fuck off you dumbasses!" Tetsuo hissed, glaring at them while embarrassed before heading inside. The rest of the gang followed suit while Nimura was beside Kaneda.

"Kai, I need you to do me a favor." Nimura called. Kai looked at him after calling out his name.

"Sure Nimura, what's the favor?" He asked, a small smile at helping his comrade and friend. Nimura simply handed him the drawing of the new additions of his bike. Kai analyzed the drawing, design, customizations and he did not miss the way the short teen's eyes gleamed in surprise

"You want to redesign your bike? More additional materials?" Kai asked loudly, unable to contain his excitement. "Man these are alot of customizations you wanna add."

"I know, I wanted to change my bike, make it look more lively. I haven't had the time to look over my bike and change things for it earlier on. I understand if it's too much I can-"

"Are you kidding me?! I never said this was too much. I'd happily help redesign and renovate your bike. I'll process all of this and get started before we head out tonight." Kai replied with glee. Nimura felt content at the response. His bike was a stolen motorbike from another gang, but he hadn't been able to change it due to the new thrilling life he has, not that he's going to complain though. 

"Remember guys, 8pm at the Harukiya bar tonight. We got some business to take care of." Kaneda announced, just as Nimura sits beside him. 

They all agreed to the meet up place. It was The Capsules main hang out spot before they went riding out on their bikes.  
And tonight was going to be another wild adventure of thrill and excitement for Nimura and The Capsules. One that they'll just have to find out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nimura is surely the odd one. A dandere as Kai calls him. I have this headcanon that Kaisuke read mangas and watches anime and pays some attention to the anime tropes such as Dandere, Tsundere, Yandere etc. It's a unique headcanon I have for him.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and comment any feedback or criticism you may have.


	3. Bad Luck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After agreeing to meet at the Harukiya, Nimura had done some earlier investigation with a gang comrade named Kuwata on The Clowns. Nimura, Kaneda, Tetsuo and the gang all plan to give The Clowns payback by sabotage. But what is this unsettling atmosphere that grows as they attack the clowns? And what unknown luck is waiting for them out there?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Before anything I just wanted to point out that from reading between the manga and watching the anime makes me want to add some characters who were apart of The Capsules as minor role. The 3 other gang members from the movie are named Kuwata, Watanabe and Takeyama and only appear in the beginning of the film. I felt that I should add them into the fanfic since this story follows the manga timeline  
> I created three minor ocs for the gang and they are Jin, Shosaku and Kenma, they're junior members to The Capsules.
> 
> I also have a headcanon where Tetsuo and Kaisuke have a space where they repair The Capsules bikes and customizations since Tetsuo has a fascination for bikes and customizations and Kaisuke is a mechanic and has connections.
> 
> I do not own Akira. All charatcers and materials are owned by Otomo Katsuhiro.  
> OCs are owned by me

There is only one person in the gang who's always first in the meeting. That would be Nimura Hasegawa in the flesh. It's actually odd for him to be first, ahead of Kaneda and Tetsuo who still can't get why he does it. Heck, even Nimura doesn't know why he's the first one. He usually goes with Kaneda and Tetsuo to meet up together sometimes, but 9/10 times Nimura is by himself and early. He was wearing his nighttime outfit for motorbiking, which was his black skin tight bodysuit, gray combat boots, and black leather jacket. His shades were on his head and his hair was styled downwards which showed off his bangs. 

He asked the bartender to give him soda. He needed something sweet tonight to give him some energy, and he didn't feel like getting not even the slightest ounce of tipsy from alcohol. After getting a glass of soda and going to a table, he drank a little of it before sighing through his nose. They've been planning alot tonight due to The Clowns new activity in vandalizing around The Capsules terf. While he isn't as aggressive or violent as his comrades, he still carries two weapons on him during their skirmishes. His primary weapon is his wrench, which he uses to damage a bike's control system or brakes, or at the rival gang member to knock them off balance. His hidden weapon that he uses only for emergency purposes is an ice pick. It may sound odd, but ice picks actually stab deeper than knives and while they are vicious weapons, Nimura won't use it unless his life is at stake or for emergency purposes.

The door swung open, and Nimura looked up to see Kai and Yamagata, along with another gang member named Takeyama, which his teal colored buzz cut, teal sweater, beige pants and glasses made him unique.

"Look Nimura's here, the earliest one." Yamagata said out loud, drawing attention to the burgundy haired teen. He just waved his hand at the trio that walked in.

"How long were you here for?" Kai asked, taking a seat and sliding down so that Yamagata could sit. Takeyama went to the barstool.

"20 minutes. It's just 15 minutes before 8 and not even half of us showed up yet. Not surprised honestly." Nimura blurted out, already aware of the routine. And through all of their meetings, Kaneda is the last one here. 

"You know how the gang rolls. Besides it's maybe an important business dealing with The Clowns, we all know how to prepare ourselves when it comes to them. And since they wanna vandalize their names on our territory as payback, we gotta show them who's boss." Yamagata input his thoughts on the matter. Nimura took another gulp of his soda, hearing the door open again to see Tetsuo come in, followed by a couple of other gang members. As they got to the table Tetsuo sat beside Nimura, while the other guys sat around the area the other 4 were. 

"How did the scouting go?" Tetsuo asked, a can of beer in his hands.

"Honestly, it was not as hard or frustrating as I thought. But they prefer being in the abandoned parts of Neo-Tokyo. It would've been harder to know which warehouse it was if it hadn't been for their biker gang symbol." Nimura replied, a bored expression.

"Tch they were stupid asses to put that up on their hideout. Then again they're the type to fucking show off." Tetsuo said, mocking their rivals. 

"As Capsules we prefer our nights to be lively and thrilling. Meanwhile they want the thrill from causing havoc to hurting others. That goes to bystanders." Nimura responded, remembering a clown member attacking a bystander's car in the streets as they were chasing them the last time.

Time passed as more of the gang showed up, and were all in idle chatter. The only missing member is a certain childhood friend and leader.

"We just need to stir some attention towards them, and start attacking the shit out them and their bikes!" Yamagata said, his fist down on the table.

"We need a diversion in the sense." Tetsuo simplified. Before Yamagata could continue speaking of his plan, Nimura interjected. 

"As much as we all want to address the plans on how to retaliate against The Clowns, we still need to wait for Kaneda." And right on cue, just a minute before 8, the leader himself shows up in his signature red biker outfit, consisting of his red capsules jacket, red pants, red boots, and gloves. 

Kaneda smirked, seeing his gang all prepared and ready for this meeting. He took a seat beside Tetsuo, and gave out a bag of capsules, the drug they take as part of their fun.

"Oh shit sweet. Did you give that nurse an ultimatum or somethin? That's way more capsules than we usually get on our nights out." Kai asked, just as The Capsules leader put it back in his pocket.

Kaneda's smirk only grew. "I may have done some stuff that had her give me more of our goods." Nimura looked to see Tetsuo scoff loudly.

"Did you promise to fuck her better than the last time with your playboy attitude?" Tetsuo snarked at him. Kaneda's expression turned into a bitter smile.

"You shouldn't be speaking to your elders like that. You're too young to understand Tets." Kaneda teased, which earned him an annoyed groan from the ravenette.

"Oh shut it Kaneda!" Tetsuo hissed, rolling his eyes to the other direction. Nimura however found Tetsuo's last comment funny, his lips trembled to chuckle at that.

"But we'll have these after our payback victory against The Clowns since we have to be on our A-game tonight." He said. The gang got serious when Kaneda mentioned their rival biker gang.

"In all honesty I don't understand why these fuckers think they can ride around our terf. And to make it worse, vandalize our property, scribble their gang name over ours." Yamagata grumbled. 

"I swear they always wanna start problems with us. No wonder why they are a bunch of sore losers." A gang member, Kuwata called out. 

Nimura had looked around the area of the bar, eyeing the bartender as if to be aware of any being suspicious of them. That also goes out to the customers as well. They didn't need any listeners or undercover corrupt cops on their asses after all, they were going to be involved in another skirmish. Watching his surroundings, two teens smoking, a guy getting up heading out the door, a couple making out desperately. It was an environment of instability. He returned his head to the group, just before he was called out.

"Mura, you and Kuwata were scouting the abandoned industrial area earlier. Did you two find anything that would lead us to one of their hideouts?" Kaneda asked. Nimura simply nodded, clearing his throat.

"Yeah, me and Kuwata were around an overpass as we went deeper in the industrial district. Not far from under the bridge, there were two spots of where we saw that The Clowns main hideout is a large, fenced warehouse, like their hangout spot or something like that. It also had their bosozoku symbol on the doorway as well. The other warehouse, which was much narrow in comparison to the first one, had an organized row of bikes. Seeing through the window, most of the bikes had different intricate designs of clown faces on it. The industrial area part was the 6th district, Umeno Industrial Park Complex." Nimura stated. Kuwata added how even some buildings there were marked with clown faces, implying that the Umeno area was indeed rival gang territory.

After about 30 minutes of planning it out with different plans, some rejected while others were added in, Kaneda made his final decision.

"Alright. Here's what we'll do. We'll split into different groups. Tetsuo and Kai will be the ones to sabotage their bikes in the narrow warehouse across from their hangout base. Me, Nimura, Yamagata, and Takeyama will be the ones to create a diversion for them to chase us only to have their bikes being broken after a short time. Watanabe, Kenma, Shosaku and Jin will be the ones to vandalize all the warehouse properties that's there. Does everyone understand?" Kaneda explained the plan, asking his comrades for the commitment and preparation of the plan. With an agreement, they all went out of the bar, which the bartender gave them a suspicious look, but nothing came out of his mouth.

When they got out, the cool air hit them, a slight whistle combined with the chill in the air. Being the month of February, winter and the cold air has been on and off in the dystopian megapolis of Neo-Tokyo. It can be cold if the wind pressure and temperature states so, and there's hardly any snow anymore due to the amount of pollution, emission gas, steel dust, and electricity in the city. Sometimes it'll be a breeze in winter and times like now it'll be cool brisk air. Neo-Tokyo, the city of corruption, protest, military junta- backed, climate confusion, and crime. They reached the alleyway, where their bikes were parked.

"Mura, how do you like the new customizations to your bike? I know we didn't fully finish it but are the new details good?" Kai asked his friend. The Capsules have a warehouse where both Tetsuo and Kai design, fix and renovate bikes. Since Nimura had given his new details and designs earlier today, they actually worked on it for a few hours before getting half of the requested designs done.

"Don't worry, when we have more time we'll get it done tomorrow over the weekend. But it looks better than it did before." Kai spoke up. Nimura's eyes gleamed the way his bike was renovated. The double mirrors, tinted light that matches the new paint job which is purple, and the engine sound different than it did before.

"These new additions are...actually nice. I honestly didn't think you two would do half of them in one day though since tonight we're doing another skirmish." Nimura replied, as he put on his shades. Tetsuo huffed before a smirk appeared on his face, Kai felt appreciated the way the details were praised.

"You didn't think we were gonna leave you without a bike now, would you?" Tetsuo chuckled, putting on his helmet. "When I start on something, I intend on finishing it." He spoke up once more.

"And I know you stay true to your word Tetsuo." Nimura replied with an amused expression. He put on his shades, and turned on his bike. The light lit up with a violet color light, brightening up half the alleyway. Some of the bikers had to glance the other way due to how bright it was.

"Shit, that light of yours is a little too bright. You really went hard on your customizations." Yamagata blurted out, putting his arm over his eyes.

"Heh you trying to outmatch me with your bike's new design Mura?!" Kaneda yelled, his tone playful and cocky.

"I don't know. It depends on who can get to the industrial sector first." Nimura challenged Kaneda, revving his bike up. Kaneda gave a smug smirk out to his childhood friend.

"You're gonna regret saying that Mura. I'll show you how it's done." Kaneda gave a finger gun motion out to Nimura. They all revved up their bikes and drove out of the alleyway. They got into formation, Kaneda in the front leading, with Nimura to his left, Tetsuo to the right, Kai in the middle, Yamagata was behind Tetsuo, Kuwata was behind Nimura, with Takeyama in the middle and Watanabe behind Yamagata. The 12 members were in that formation, placed in 3's, with Kaneda standing out in front. 

As Nimura and The Capsules were rushing past the bright neon lights of Neo-Tokyo, a weird yet negative sensation was brewing within Nimura. He didn't know why this sensation was forming and nor did he know what to do with it, so he ignored it as him and the gang were speeding through the streets. Usually Nimura doesn't get a negative feeling about something, so this was something he couldn't understand nor could he comprehend at the moment.

After about a 35 min ride, they reached the industrial area, their bikes slowing down as they step into enemy territory, not far from the Umeno Industrial Park Complex.

"Alright. Kuwata, lead Tetsuo and Kai to where their bikes are at. Nimura, lead us to where the main hideout is and places for us to vandalize." Kaneda declared. Kuwata drove away with Kai and Tetsuo following them. Kaneda was in the lead, but Nimura was guiding him and the gang to the location.

"From remembering while I was on Kuwata's bike, their hideout is on the left corner of the overpass." Nimura stated, looking at the various clown graffiti on the abandoned warehouses and construction site.

"And too think they choose a deserted factory district when not far from here is a industrial area that's alive and working." Yamagata grumbled, mocking The Clowns and their acts.

They neared the overpass, their motorbikes going at a slow speed to prevent their motors from being loud enough to echo the district.

~~TETSUO~~

It was odd to Tetsuo for the fact that The Clowns had their bikes in a different location. While it was a block up from the main hideout, across from it was a metal fence of sorts. Whatever it was the ravenette couldn't care less. All he wanted was to get this over with.

"All the bikes here are lined up, so no doubt that the leader's bike is in here." Kuwata explained. Kai handed Tetsuo a wrench and bike tools to sabotage the bikes and materials, along with his own.

"I wanna save the leader's bike for last. I wanna do every damage to sabotage it!" Kai called out, barely containing his excitement.

"Let's get going before those fuckers realize we're here." Tetsuo muttered, leaving Kai to follow with Kuwata keeping watch. Getting to his first bike, Tetsuo went up to it and started on the wiring compartment under the gas tank. He clipped the wires there, each one by one, removed and loosened pieces within the bike that holds parts in place, then popped the tires on both sides before moving on to the next one.

"Some of these bikes have parts that came from the period of World War III, and yet they use it to install and materialize their bike? No wonder half the time their bikes break faster than ours." Tetsuo mocked, unscrewing the metal screws, wires to turn on and drive the bike, before popping the tires. On his third bike though Tetsuo started to feel off, like he was being watched. The repugnant smell of gas intoxicated his nose, and while there was something in the air that was unsettling, Tetsuo did his best to continue to focus on the task at hand, but it was short lived, when he smelled something burning.

"H-hey why is smelling like something is burn- HOLY SHIT!" Kai screeched at the sight before him, making Tetsuo jump and look to where Kai was staring. His eyes widened at the sight, there was a fire. And the fire was growing close to one of the bikes they didn't touch. Wait...how...was that bike leaking gas when none of them touched it…?

"But Kuwata doesn't fix bikes nor can he sabotage them, plus he's outside and only us two know about bikes...what the fuck is going on!?" Tetsuo thoughts were in a disarray, Kuwata came barging in only to see the sight before him. 

"What the hell happened here!?" The gang member shouted in confusion. Before the duo could even give a response, the bike started crackling, making popping noises.

"Oh shit, it's gonna blow!" Tetsuo shouted, prompting both of them to run out. As they got to the entrance, the bike exploded, causing alot of force for the teens to fall down to the floor. The trio got up, faces pale from shock of the plan they had failed...no, more like it was sabotaged.  
Tetsuo couldn't believe this. Just how did this happen? What or rather who caused this to fucking blow up? They needed to warn Kaneda, Nimura and the others.

~~NIMURA~~

2 minutes earlier before the explosion…

Nimura guided The Capsules to the main hideout. Just as he described it, the bosozoku symbol was on the top of the warehouse, along with various graffiti and decorations of their own on it. 

"This is it...let's do this." Kaneda said, glaring at the warehouse while the others prepared for the skirmish. The other gang members went to vandalize the other parts of the warehouse. Kaneda revved his bike up to a maximum, causing enough horsepower to drive his way to the entrance, breaking the rusty warehouse gate.

"Please don't tell me he just did that…" Nimura trailed off with a deadpan look. Yamagata let out an earnest chuckle.

"Yep, we might as well join him in there." The tall teen insisted as he revved up his bike and drove to the same direction. Nimura simply shook his head and drove off the same path. The moment his bike entered the broken entryway, here they were, his Capsule comrades confronting the shocked and angry Clown gang.

"Hey what the fuck is going on!?" One of the Clown scumbags yelled, teeth gritted at them.

"So you wanna act like dumbasses huh? Alright lemme get to the point. You assholes were in our territory, going around and vandalizing with your names all over it! So now this is gonna be payback for all that shit!" Kaneda declared, glaring at the designated members of their rival gang.

"Huh? Taking on all of us with your small numbers? Don't make me laugh kid, payback on all of us would be something in your dreams." A deep, gruff voice called out. The person who stepped forward was a bald, very chubby and heavyset man with dark tan skin, wearing make up on his face resembling a clown, with a tank top, beige/yellow pants and suspenders, completed with white boots.

"Joker…" Yamagata growled the leader's name in distaste. Nimura's expression turned serious at the rival gang leader. He knows for sure that Kaneda would go against Joker.

"Don't underestimate us just because of our age and small number. We're stronger and more capable than you think. You might as well regret it soon." Nimura explained with an air of nonchalance. Joker turned to the former, eyes narrowed.

"Alright then, how about we settle this right here, right no-"

BOOOOM!!!!

Any words that Joker wanted to say went unsaid as the loud explosion across the street echoed through the main hideout.

"What the hell!? What is that!?" Takeyama shouted with wide eyes as he recoiled from the loud boom.

Nimura, Kaneda, Yamagata, and Takeyama whipped their heads to find that the explosion and fire swarming over the warehouse where The Clowns had their bikes parked. Both gangs were in shock, The Capsules had paled and worried expressions because Kai, Tetsuo and Kuwata were over there.

"WHAT THE FUCK!? OUR BIKES!!!" All members of The Clowns were frantic as they saw the fire.

"Tetsuo...Kai...Kuwata…" Nimura thought with wide eyes. Immediately he revved up his bike to speed over there. He couldn't have no one get hurt or worse. Especially his childhood friend Tetsuo. A gang member was trying to stop him, only for Nimura to pull out his wrench and swing it towards the gang member's ribs. The Clown grunted in pain and fell back hard. The Capsules followed suit as The Clowns began to chase them out. 

Nimura drove a block up, just to see Tetsuo, Kai and Kuwata on their bikes before seeing him pull up.

"Nimura!" Tetsuo shouted, a mixture of shock, annoyance and nervousness as the fire began to spread. 

"What happened!? How did the warehouse explode?" Nimura asked, slightly anxious by the turn of events.

"We- Well we don't know! One minute me and Tetsuo were sabotaging their bikes, next thing we knew a bike we haven't touched was leaking gas and a fire appeared out of nowhere!" Kaisuke shouted, his expression a myriad of feelings. Nimura couldn't even comprehend that information. How the hell did the bike caught on fire if they didn't-

"HEY! WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED!?" A loud, angry voice boomed as they neared them. Nimura glanced behind to see Kaneda, Yamagata, Takeyama and the rest of the gang. Seeing Kaneda's face, nothing but confusion, shock and anger was visible.

"I don't know! S-something backfired and that bike we didn't touch exploded!" Kai replied shakingly.

"I feel like some fucking body sabotaged us, because we never touched that damn bike!" Tetsuo yelled, very pissed at their failed attempt.

"Listen guys, now's not the time to-" Nimura was cut off when not only The Clown gang running like maniacs at them, but the sound of police sirens.

"What the fuck are you shitting me!? The cops!?" Yamagata hissed, unable to hold his anger and brash side now that things went south.

"We have to get the hell out of here now!" Kaneda announced, needing his gang to stray away from the police. The last thing they all needed was a jail record on their profiles and that could lead to reform school or worse.

"LET'S GO!!!" The Capsules leader blared, with the rest of the gang speeding off, but not before Yamagata swung his club at a Clown member trying to drag him off a bike. They ransacked down the road and as they passed a two way road, they saw two police cars coming from their left.

"Shit! They got here fast!" Yamagata yells out with irritation.

"We need to split up! We have no other choice if we wanna shake these cops off our trail!" Nimura shouted over the motors of the speeding bikes.

"He's right! EVERYONE SPLIT UP!" Kaneda boomed, which prompted the gang to divide into twos or by themselves. Kaneda and Tetsuo went right, Yamagata and Takeyama went straight up before turning left, Kai and the rest split up somewhere else. Nimura split to his right behind Kaneda and Tetsuo before swerving another direction to shake the cops from their tails.

Nimura while riding realized that their attempted plan wasn't a failure. It was more like...someone sabotaged them. But who? And why? The more Nimura thought about it, the more off he was feeling. After a few minutes he realized he was alone riding on his bike. He needed to get back to the dorm to meet up with The Capsules.

"I hope everyone is okay. Kaneda and Tetsuo...please be okay." Nimura thought with worry. The street was dark and it was deserted than it was before, it felt unsettling to Nimura. The moment he turned, a shadowed figure stuck his arm out. Nimura instantly dodged, but the movement caused him to slid off his bike, crashing to the ground. His bike slid to the gate out in the open, crashing to a fence. 

Startled, Nimura got up, wrench in his hand and strikes at the figure. They caught the wrench before elbowing Nimura's forearm, making him drop the weapon. Nimura stumbled back before getting in a martial arts stance. The figure made their attack and aimed for Nimura's face. Nimura blocked the attack and kicked the person's gut before grabbing their arm and throwing them to the fence. Nimura attacked the figure with hits and kicks before the person caught a small opening and punched Nimura's gut, which made him stumble and left another open for the figure to headbutt the burgundy haired teen hard.

Nimura shouted in pain, falling to the ground from the impact. The figure approached the recovering teen. Before the person could grab him, Nimura pulled out his ice pick and stabbed the person in the arm. They shrieked from the very sharp weapon before Nimura pulled it out and sweeped the figure with his leg, causing the figure to fall. Nimura straightened himself, staring at his mysterious attacker. Nimura didn't know who this attacker was or the reason, but he's not stupid to think that this person could be a serial killer or something. Attacking him out of nowhere.

"What the hell do you want? And why did you attack me?" Nimura asked, a menacing tone with his words. The figure however refused to respond. They got up on one knee and casted their face down. If it wasn't so dark, Nimura could make out the facial features clearly.

"I'm not going to ask this again...who the hell are you and why did you attack me?" Nimura repeated, becoming anxious and readying his ice pick to hit the non-vital areas in case they leaped towards him. Once again the figure did not reply to him, and the longer the silence, the more Nimura grew unsettled. Before he could make a move, a black cloth came from behind and covered his mouth and nose, inadvertently making Nimura inhale from shock. He tried to stab the person behind him, only to have his hand grabbed.

The smell was chemical like, repulsive and strong. He realized his vision was getting blurry and tunnel vision. 

"Oh shit...it's chloroform…" Nimura strained in his thoughts, his movements ceased to move and his eyes closed, becoming unconscious in the dark night.

And deep in the city, a sinking, dreadful feeling grew between Kaneda and Tetsuo. And yet they couldn't comprehend why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dun! What have I done? This simply took a dark turn. I know it sounds confusing for now but all your questions and concerns about the end will be revealed in the far distant chapters. There is a reason why it happened but I'd rather keep it a surprise. I want to keep everyone in suspense.


	4. This is Personal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Kaneda, Tetsuo and the gang return to the dorm apartments, things were very off...Nimura hasn't returned. With the thoughts plaguing their mind of where Nimura is, what will they do to find him? What is this feeling of anxiety that is haunting all of them?
> 
> And where is Nimura? Who is this man that seems to know Nimura's identity? This is the first time Nimura has felt fear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I know I was supposed to update this chapter yesterday but it I actually wrote longer than I thought I would. So far this the longest chapter I have ever wrote. I know I said 5 chapters but I'll be adding a 6th chapter to this before we head on to the events of Akira. I know everyone wants to know why Nimura but all will be in due time. Everything will be revealed in the distant chapters.
> 
> I DO NOT OWN AKIRA. ALL CHARACTERS AND MATERIALS ARE OWNED BY OTOMO KATSUHIRO  
> OCs BELONG TO ME

~~KANEDA~~

11:30 pm

In the corrupted slum megapolis, Kaneda mounted the roads with Tetsuo behind him. Something was wrong. No...everything felt wrong ever since that sinking feeling was set in. The moment he and Tetsuo made it back to the dorm apartments that had been built by their vocational school, he was joined by Kai, Watanabe, and the junior member Jin.

"You guys made it back. I'm surprised since the cops were on your tail." Kaneda spoke to them. 

"Yeah, me and jin ended up having to split up for a short time since they were both on our tails. Fucking damn cops were desperate in catching us." Kai spat, teenage angst in the mix.

"Good…" Kaneda trailed off, the dreadful feeling continuing to plague him. Kaneda wasn't very good with handling emotion, he knew that much since he was young. But still, it felt off. Like aside from the whole failure with sabotaging The Clowns, the whole splitting up situation was what felt unsettling. They do this all the time when the cops show up, but this time it wasn't a good feeling.

"Hey Kaneda you alright? You and Tetsuo look like somethin's eating you from the the inside." Kai asked, frowning at the duo. Both Kaneda and Tetsuo perked up at Kai seeing their unusual expression.

Rather than trying to brush it off, Kaneda cleared his throat and faced them.

"Have any of you seen Nimura? Did he go upstairs to his dorm apartment or something?" Kaneda asked, wary to find out the answer.

"Um no...Nimura hasn't even showed up at all yet. We were the first ones here." Kai replied, confused.

"Wasn't he behind you and Tetsuo? I saw him split up with you?" Jin asked the both of them. Now the atmosphere was getting tense and uncomfortable, and it was radiating off Kaneda and Tetsuo, and spreaded to Kai, Watanabe and Jin.

"He was. He split up and joined us for a few seconds before taking another path. That was the last time we saw him…" Tetsuo trailed off, sweat starting to form on his forehead. The stress and worry was getting to him. Why the fuck did Nimura took another path? He could of stood with him and Kaneda. This wasn't making this thoughts any better.

Sounds and Rumbling of bikes were coming down and the gang whipped their heads around to see Yamagata, Takeyama, Kuwata, Kenma, and Shosaku all heading towards them. No sign of a purple bike headed their way, much to the worry of the two childhood friends.

"Where's Nimura? Did you guys see him?" Tetsuo asked, taking the initiative to know where his friend is at.

"No, we haven't seen him, well I haven't seen him or bumped into him." Yamagata responded, much to Tetsuo's disdain and stress. Other gang members that were with Yamagata also answered back no and saying they haven't seen Nimura. This didn't sit well with the gang, especially Kaneda and Tetsuo.

"I don't like this atmosphere. Shit doesn't feel right." Kai blurted out, his face tense and unsettled. Kaneda sported a frustrated glare at the pavement. Now there was something definitely wrong. Nope, they weren't going to sit by like this. They were going back out there and-

"HEY YOU SCUMS! WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING OUT PAST THIS HOUR!?" A loud obnoxious and booming voice barked at The Capsules. They all dreaded after hearing the voice of the person they hate so much at school. Their gym teacher, Mr. Takoba who they call Jaws. 

Now what should they say to their gym teacher who watches over the dormitory apartment for being out past 11pm?  
After the whole rough riding, dodging the cops and the like for more than an hour, time has gone by fast. 

"We're doing something important! We need to go back out there!" Kai replied back with reluctance. There was no way in hell they're gonna tell him the truth.

"Ooh really? Then tell me the important reason. Because technically you're breaking the curfew limit right now, those bikes of yours sure make alot of noise." Jaws snarked, looking at them with a malicious glare.

"We're not gonna tell you the reason why! That's our business and ours to know!" Kaneda yelled, not caring who has the authority here or what Jaws was as his status in the school. His response only made the heavy gym teacher laugh mockingly.

"Your business huh? In case you haven't noticed you're forgetting who's in charge around here. You scums don't got a very smart brain up there anyway since you guys are the lowest in the spectrum." The gym teacher belittled the gang with insults and humiliation that they all felt anger boiling inside of them, both from his insults and the fact that they were wasting time in finding Nimura.

"Cut us some damn slack! We have something important to do and if Kaneda doesn't want to share it with you he doesn't have to!" Yamagata shouted, sticking up to his leader. Kaneda was gritting his teeth. The dreadful feeling in him was starting to irritate him and this asshole was wasting their fucking time! 

"Alright then. If you're not gonna tell me, then I'll get the police involved and off you guys go to jail...choose where you stand right now." Jaws threatened, a devious smirk on his face. It took every restraint on Kaneda to not lash out and beat the shit out of Jaws. This can't be fucking happening! Not when Nimura was not here yet! And here they are, their hands tied from the very option they were going to take.

Kaneda couldn't care less about the cops. They can go ahead and arrest them if they want, like he's one to care of what the authority thinks. But deep down, his gut instincts were feeling otherwise. They can't get arrested by the cops. That would be the end of their gang, they will all be separated into different jails, especially from Tetsuo, Nimura, Yamagata and Kai, and they wouldn't find Nimura if they're locked up. With anger and reluctance, Kaneda gave in. The rest of the gang were shocked at this, but immediately followed suit since they were trying to avoid the cops at the moment.

"Good. But you scums are still in for trouble. All of you meet in the gym before your classes begin tomorrow." Jaws announced. The Capsules all groaned and grumbled with incoherent swearing filling the air. Parking their bikes and heading upstairs the elevator ride up with only some of the members, Kaneda, Tetsuo, Kai, Yamagata, Kuwata and Takeyama were sporting sour and irritated expressions.

"We're finding Nimura first thing in the morning. Doesn't matter if we have class or not." Kaneda declared, anger seething word after word. They all agreed to it. And they were gonna find Nimura. The moment the elevator dinged to his floor, Kaneda bolted out the elevator, leaving his friends to think in their thoughts. He opened the door with his keys and kicked it before slamming it hard, not caring who was sleeping at this hour. 

Kaneda threw his biker gloves across the room, dropping to his bed in a sitting position. He was infuriated of the situation, but worried for Nimura's well being. This wasn't how the night was supposed to go. It wasn't supposed to fucking go out like this. That sinking feeling of dread and negativity grew worse in Kaneda's gut.

He puts his head between his hands, shoulders and upper body tense.

"Mura...where the fuck are you?" Kaneda whispered in a defeated tone.

~~NIMURA~~

Unknown location

It was cold. He felt very cold, and considering how long he was out, it probably was a while. He stirred, only to feel his wrists tied very tightly, along with his ankles bound to the chair.

'Resorting to restrain me completely huh?' Nimura said in thought. He felt something around his eyes and ears, so when he tried to open his eyes, he saw darkness. He was blindfolded.

'Damn. I didn't think they were this prepared. What are these bastards trying to do with me?' Nimura thought in annoyance. No, he'll find a way out of this...he has to find a way out. He's aware that Kaneda, Tetsuo and the gang are going nuts right now of his disappearance.

"Awake? Good. It's been 3 hours since you were unconscious, I guess that was a good chloroform." A scratchy yet malevolent voice spoke out, one that made Nimura halt his movements.

'3 Hours?! At this point my friends are definitely on the run to find me.' Nimura continued to speak in his mind. He is not very keen in sharing his thoughts to his captor.

"I was hoping you'd wake up earlier to introduce you to the 3 other members of my party, but they've gone for a little while so they will be seeing you later on." The male voice replied to Nimura's silence. The teen just tried his best to not listen to the psychopath that was lingering around the area. He mostly focused on trying to hear any sounds that led to outside, the wind, turn of a door knob, anything that could benefit him.

"The silent treatment huh? Of course you would do that. It's your normal personality to everything right, Hasegawa Nimura?" The voice blurted out, as though it contained a undermining tone to it. Nimura froze when his name was mentioned. No...there was no...no way the psychopathic unknown male called him by his full name.

'Who the fuck is this guy? With this blindfold it makes things alot difficult. How does he know my name? Just where did he get access to such personal information as private as my name and personality…' Nimura trailed off, unable to speak his thoughts once more. He felt a chill down his spine, something he never felt before and it was nauseating. He had to escape, he couldn't have his friends see him all battered and bleeding. He'd rather escape back to them than to find him in that condition and be traumatized by it.

"Don't worry. You don't need to talk, I have better ways for you to hear your voice. Let's see…" The male was close this time and he heard clanking of metal, realizing there were tools. 

'Oh...oh shit. He's going to torture me.' Nimura began to tremble from anxiety and unsettling clanking of metal tools. His teeth subconsciously chattered, whether it was the cold, the fear of the unknown, or both. But for the first time in his life, he felt fear.

"Alright Nimura, be a good boy and scream bloody murder, alright?"

~~TETSUO~~

2:15 am

Nothing was right. Not a single fucking thing. No matter how thoroughly he showered, how comfortable he tried to get, or how distracted he was trying to get, his thoughts and mind were spiraling out of place.

He tossed and turned in his bed, and no matter what side he faced, he still couldn't find himself to sleep. Not even a singular capsule he gulped down helped ease his nerves. Why all of this?

He doesn't know where his childhood friend is at, or if he made it back to the dorm apartments. And he never met up with the gang or returned back home. He believes things when he sees it. Actions speak louder than words. So not seeing Nimura at least return to his apartment here in the dorms was enough to put him at edge. Kaneda is on edge too. 

"Fuck this shit!" Tetsuo hissed, sitting up abruptly from his bed. He glared at the wall in front of him, his fists clenched at the mess he was in. If Jaws hadn't fucking showed up at the wrong time he would of been hellbent in going back to find Nimura. 

This sinking feeling of dread is only putting him on a thin ice, it irked him, worried him, and angered him that he's having this negative feeling because it won't just fucking go away and he can't tell himself everything is okay because everything is not okay!

Emotions was never a thing Tetsuo desired to focus on, nor can he control it. He knows he has an explosive temper, he knows he's got a foul mouth, and yes he is aware he cried alot when he was younger during his childhood and late elementary years. Emotions is never an easy thing with Tetsuo. He abhors the fact that Kaneda bosses him around in the gang, but to feel a clutter of other emotions is another thing. He fucking hates it.

Tetsuo got up and made his way to the bathroom. Even wearing his blank tank top he was still having trouble with the heat. His anxiety and anger is getting the best of him. He turned on the faucet and splashed cold water on his face. He needed something to at least calm himself despite knowing not everything is okay. He splashes his face 3 times before turning the water off, exhaling. He looks into the mirror, scowl plastered on his face as the droplets of water drop from his scrunched up face. 

Disgust, anger, frustration, anxiety all swelled up in him, but there was also the feelings of melancholy and guilt. All of these emotions were plaguing him.

"He was behind me...Mura was behind me. I should've told him to stay with me and Kaneda. I didn't...I feel like it's my fault for not watching him. He would of been back by now if I had told him to stay with us when we all split up." Tetsuo monologues, his face casting down to his sink. He feels that things end up being his fault at times when making mistakes, and because of that, he feels like a runt, a nobody because he can never seem to catch up. And now, one of his best friends is missing.

"What the fuck am I gonna do?" Tetsuo's voice was strained as he put his hands on his head. 

7:30 am

No one had slept last night. Most of the capsules members didn't sleep at all, and if they did, it wasn't a good night at all. All because of the disappearance of Nimura.

Tetsuo, cranky as ever, showered and dressed. He put a short sleeve collar shirt over his white tank top, wearing grey pants and black boots. He grabbed his signature oversized cyan sweater and walked out the door. His scowl prominent as ever, no stranger would want to dare approach him.

'Ah fuck...Jaws is gonna knock the lights out of us before we can find Nimura.' Tetsuo thought, growling in annoyance at that. He kept on walking, all at a lost of everything around him, his thoughts were at random. It felt so uneasy, and he realized goosebumps appeared on his skin last night when he felt a chill down his spine. The fuck was that all about? He knew that it wasn't a good sign.

He snapped out of his thoughtful trance when he heard something click. He looked down to see his hand turning a door knob.

"What the fuck?" He questioned with a voice barely above a whisper. He realized he was about to step into Nimura's apartment. "Why did I ended up going here? What made me go to his-!" Any words that wanted to leave Tetsuo's mouth halted as he stared at Nimura's door intensely.

"Wait...why is Nimura's door open…!? He never leaves his door open…" Before he knew ihe swung the door open fully and saw the sight. Tetsuo's blood ran cold, his face paled a little as he saw Nimura's room contracted into a large pile of mess.

"There's no way...no fucking way. Someone definitely broke in here." Tetsuo spoke, unable to trust himself emotionally. Immediately he bolted out of the room. He had to get Kaneda. He has to know about this.

~~KAISUKE~~

Alot of things were in Kai's mind. The whole thing with Nimura disappearing was a major concern for him and the gang. Their friend never returned back to the apartments. It was strange and dreadful to not see him come back.

He and Nimura first met when Kai had gotten into a scuffle with some punk. Yamagata and Nimura at the time were doing some scouting, and they found Kai fighting with one of their former bike rivals. At first they thought the short teen was gonna get hurt by the rival gang member. Well did Kai fought savagely against the gang member and knocked him out cold. They defended him when other gang members from their rival gang showed up. Since that day was Kai's unofficial recruitment to The Capsules. Yamagata asked him about joining which not only led him to learn how to ride bikes proficiently, but also allowed The Capsules to have a technician and a large connection to getting bikes for them.

He and Nimura ride together sometimes and regards him as the coolest and chill person in The Capsules. A pure dandere at that, and always reaffirmed his friendship in him.

Now, Kai was gonna make sure he and the gang find Nimura from whatever hell he's going through. He just hoped that he is okay, he needed to be okay.

Loud abrupt banging startled Kai.

"What the hell!? I'm coming! I'm coming WAIT!" Kai whined, running to the door. The moment he opened it, he was grabbed by the collar and immediately rushed out the door by Kaneda, followed by Tetsuo. He was glad that he was dressed. Kaneda was wearing a black and white rugby shirt, with beige pants, white sneakers and a warm jacket.

"What's going on!? Why are you all frantic as shit!?" Kai shouted.

"No time for questions. All I can say is that we were sabotaged from the beginning! Someone fucking snuck into Nimura's room. It look like a storm broke in there!" Kaneda shouted, anger and shock relevant in his face and eyes. Kai's eyes widen. Someone actually sneaked into Nimura's room? That person had planned to sabotage them from the beginning and target Nimura.

Why would somebody want to target Nimura for? What purpose is there to attack one of his friends and comrades.

"We're definitely going to find Nimura. That just pissed me the fuck off there! Never want to hurt somebody this bad ever!" Kaneda seethed, a glare that spelled doom, fists clenched so tight that his knuckles were turning white. Tetsuo was glaring ahead, his gaze dark and menacing after witnessing everything first hand. He was gonna make those fuckers regret the day they were conceived, like Mura would say.

"Kaneda, we're going to find him! We will!" Kai declared, earning a nod from the leader. Kai was going to beat the living shit out of those fuckfaces that messed with Nimura and the gang.

The running trio reached the door to the entrance.

"Hey Yama! We have an emergency!" Kaisuke shouted at the taller male.

~~YAMAGATA~~

7:55 am

The moment he heard his name shouted out, Yamagata turned away from his bike to find Kai, Kaneda, and Tetsuo running to him. They were out of breath like they ran a marathon.

"Whoa whoa the hell's going on? Why are ya all panicked?" Yamagata asked, bewildered by the sudden entrance.

"It's Nimura's room. Somebody went in and ravaged the place! That's the reason why our plan failed last night, and why Nimura is missing!" Kaneda yelled, nothing but anger blaring in the atmosphere. Yamagata choked on air from the information he was given. 

"What!? Some fucking scum is sabotaging our gang and taken Nimura!??" Yamagata's fists clenched, one of his hands holding a wrench. His protective brother-like instincts went sky high mode. Ever since Nimura never returned, Yamagata had been worried for his friend's being. Yamagata was the first person before Kai to be part of the gang that was setting up with Kaneda, Tetsuo and Nimura in it. To the tall teenager, Nimura was like a little brother to him. That one brother that doesn't get into conflict. The trio friends to Yamagata were his brothers, Kaneda the cool, collected and goofball brother, Tetsuo the hot tempered, foul mouthed and stubborn brother he would defend, and Nimura, the brother who was neutral, collected, calm and docile, who stood out of conflict most of the time. 

After hearing all this, Yamagata wasted no time in rounding up the gang with Kai while Kaneda and Tetsuo hopped on their bikes to look for Nimura.

"Round up our gang members. Let's split up and look for each of our members and have an emergency meeting! Stay clear of that fucking gym teacher" Yamagata yelled out, his voice a mixture of seriousness and slight anger.

"Right!" Kai shouted back as he rounded the left corner. Yamagata kept his pace and looked for the members of The Capsules.

"Don't worry Nimura, this will all be over when we find you. We're gonna beat the life out of the fucker for messing with you. We're coming for you Mura!" Yamagata stated, panting as he continued to look for members.

~~KAORI~~

8:30 am

"Hmmm, Hasegawa Nimura is absent today? That's a shocker." The teacher of the science classroom called out, skeptical.

Kaori looked at the empty seat of Nimura and for a negative reason, the empty seat didn't sit right with her. She felt unsettled by this because after a year of spending time with Nimura alongside her love Tetsuo, she known alot about the dandere teen. 

She knew he took his school work and grades seriously. Wears casual fashion that can be modest and model like, or rebellious and dark like. She knows he likes to spend time with Tetsuo, Kaneda, and the gang and hang out at night. His history of how his parents abandoned him by sending him to the same orphanage as Tetsuo and Kaneda. 

She formed this brotherly bond with Nimura as they met when Tetsuo introduced her to him first. And she couldn't be happier to have that family like relationship with him. But now that he's not here, an empty seat that hasn't been touched yet, this dawning feeling of anxiety and nervousness started in the pit of her stomach. She realized that since he wasn't there, neither were Tetsuo, Kaneda, Yamagata or Kai.

"Nimura...I hope you're okay. I'm always here to talk to if The Capsules are busy." Kaori whispered, a frowning expression on her face.

~~KANEDA~~

4:40 PM

The day was unbelievable. Him and Tetsuo searched the abandoned parts of Neo-Tokyo, the Umeno Industrial Park Complex, Pier 12, Pier 18, they searched EVERYWHERE in Neo Tokyo and they couldn't find their best friend. This was a nightmare. Kaneda hoped that this was some bad dream that he had yet to wake up from.

He learned that it wasn't. After him and the gang got punched hard in their faces by Jaws, Kaneda realized it was a nightmare that was real. One they had a hard time escaping from. Their last class, the 4 of them bolted. Kaneda, Tetsuo, Kai, and Yamagata couldn't think straight. The bruised pain in their faces, the trouble to find Nimura, the situation of someone in the school inadvertently attacking them, it was all overwhelming. Kaneda remained silent, unable to conjure any thoughts at the moment. When the rest of the gang showed up at their school spot by the benches, the air around them was full of misery, melancholy, and anger. A silent anger brewing within them.

"I don't know how Nimura could disappear like that. Just what were the errors we were making?" Takeyama broke the silence.

"It's like somebody wanted to come at our gang and take Nimura as if he was a target compared to us." Kai replied. This caused Kaneda to perk up slightly at that. 

"What do you mean Kai? Like he was someone that the fucking asshole was aiming for?" Yamagata questioned, confused and astonished by Kai's statement. Kaneda heard his ravenette friend shift a little closer to hear this new information.

"Yeah. Like how would they know about Nimura's apartment room and our skirmish that failed? They could've been tailing him when he was by himself." Kai implied to the gang. Kaneda looked the other way to see that same kid that Nimura confronted yesterday. There was...something odd about him too. He was suspicious. The teen had a hand in his pocket and a duffle bag. He was wearing a black jacket, jeans, black and white sneakers with a white sweater. 

'This fucking asshole is giving me creepy vibes now…' He trailed off in his thoughts. He took a pebble and without thinking of another alternative, brung his arm back.

"Kani, what are you doing?" Tetsuo asked, questioning Kaneda's motives. The latter through the rock at the teen's feet and the moment it made contact with him, the teen tripped and fell to the ground. His hand came out his pocket, pulling out something so similar...they were a familiar set of keys…

"Oh shit...that fucking bastard has Nimura's keys!" Kaneda screamed, much to the shock of the entire gang. 

"That's Mura's keys. How the fuck he got it!?" Tetsuo yelled, fury written all over his face, ignoring the throbbing pain from his bruise. 

"Ask that later! Right now let's catch that fuckface." Yamagata yelled back, which prompted them all to chase the teen. Said teen got up and ran with Nimura's Keys, going out the school and down the street. 

"YOU WON'T GET AWAY DIPSHIT!" Kaneda screeched, his voice raising louder than usual as they ransacked the sidewalk to chase the teen.

They got further and further away from the school until the teen went into an alleyway and seemingly lost him.

"Split up! Find the asshat piece of shit!" Kaneda ordered, with the gang obeying and they all split up.

~~TETSUO~~

"That fucking asshole couldn't have gone far. He had to be here somewhere…" Tetsuo trailed off, growling as they lost him. Both Kai and him were sprinting, running towards another alleyway.

'He's the fucking reason why Nimura is missing! He's the reason why his dorm apartment was torn inside out! He must of fucking had something to do with our failed attempt against the clowns!' Tetsuo was seething in his thoughts. He was going to make that asshole pay!

"Tetsuo I'm gonna head down this way to find him!" Kai shouted to his right. 

"Go ahead! I got this side." He replied, as Tetsuo took off without waiting for Kai's acknowledgement. He went down an alleyway that was so filthy and unsanitary. The air was repulsive and disgusting. As he ventured down he met a dead end. 

"Damn it! Where the fuck he went!?" Tetsuo shouted in frustration, fists clenching enough to hear his knuckles crack. He heard footsteps and the patting of something metal, making the ravennette freeze.

"Huh!?" He looked back to see a metal bat swinging towards him at full force.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a cliffhanger...sorry I just had to leave it there. I will leave you guys to predict all that has happened so far until the next chapter. Until then, enjoy suffering in suspense >:)  
> Feedback and Criticism is welcomed


	5. Painful Sight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nimura is still missing...the tension is hair rising and the gang is in a cesspool of panic, angst, worry and anger. Just what happened last night that made everything went to the gutter? The same teen that Nimura handled is the one holding Nimura's keys. Just what the hell is going on?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I apologize for the late inconvenience but alot happened yesterday with personal stuff but without further ado I am posting another long chapter here I apologize for that as well but let the popcorn fest and tears begin.
> 
> I DO NOT OWN AKIRA. ALL CHARACTERS AND MATERIALS ARE OWNED BY OTOMO KATSUHIRO  
> OCs BELONG TO ME

~~TETSUO~~

Had he not whipped his around barely in time to see the metal bat heading straight at him, he would've been out cold on the ground, bleeding from his skull. He dodged, falling back as the metal bat grazed his head.

Tetsuo took out his hammer and swung it, hitting the teen's shoulder which made him cry out. The teen stumbled back but still held the baseball bat in his hand.

"So you wanna fucking fight dirty huh? I can do that too!" Tetsuo shouted, taking a stance.

"You and your friends need to mind your business about what I do. What's done is done!" The teen shouted in a whiny voice, getting ready to run at Tetsuo with the bat.

Those words pissed the ravenette off. The fuck does he mean that what he does is his business!? So sneaking into Nimura's room and having something to do with him missing was HIS BUSINESS!? 

"YOUR BUSINESS!? ARE YOU FUCKED UP IN THE HEAD OR SOMETHING!?" Tetsuo screeched, his temper exploded, veins visible on his head from the anger. He dodged the swing as he swung his hammer swiftly to the teens side, which forced the teen to stumble and drop the bat. 

"You had something to do with my best friend's disappearance! And you know where he's at right!? I'm gonna beat the fucking shit out of you for getting away with it!" Tetsuo yelled once more, swinging his hammer towards the teen's ribs. It made an impact, forcing the teen to elicit a pained yell.

"Augh- Damn you!" The teen spat. As Tetsuo was going to attack, the teen ran up to him and grabbed the ravenette's arm, elbowing Tetsuo's forearm and punching him in the face. Tetsuo shook his head as he stumbled back. He spat on the floor before clenching fists and glaring at his opponent. The bruise on his other cheek was still throbbing from earlier thanks to Mr. Takaba punched them after him and Kaneda got back, yet he took hits before so that punch from the teen was barely anything. Kaneda and Nimura hit harder than that.

"You call that a punch? Tch you're fucking weak." Tetsuo mocked, sneering at him. The teen ran at him and began to throw his arm back for a punch, but Tetsuo expected that so he lowered himself, dodged the swing before giving the former an uppercut. The teen cried out, falling to the ground. Before he could get back up, Tetsuo grabbed him by the collar, lifting him up before the ravenette punched him in the gut, giving a few blows, then proceeded to punch his face while holding the teen's face, knocking out a few teeth and giving him new bruises. Tetsuo gave the final blow by punching the teen's noise. A crack was heard from the impact and rushing down was the blood. 

The teen crashed to the floor from the hard assault Tetsuo gave him. He groaned in pain as the ravenette above him sported a menacing scowl, his teeth grinded eachother out of sheer anger. Tetsuo saw the damage he gave his opponent. A black eye, multiple bruises, a broken nose, and blood dripping from his mouth but he couldn't care less.

"Where's Nimura? You better fucking tell me now!" Tetsuo seethed, preparing to hit him again if the teen decides to resist. The latter was shaking, from the pain and from the intimidating aura The Capsule member was releasing. But the teen refused to respond to him.

"Where. The. Fuck. Is. Nimura!? Are you deaf or do I need to check your shitty ears!?" Tetsuo yelled, DEMANDING him to reveal where Nimura is. He grabbed the teen by the collar once again, but before he could initiate anything, the teen spat in his face, catching the ravenette off guard before kicking him in the gut. That opening allowed the teenager to get up and run. Tetsuo groaned in disgust, frantically wiping the spit from his face before chasing the former enraged.

"GET BACK HERE FUCKER!" Tetsuo screamed, hot on the teen's trail. No he wasn't gonna lose this piece of shit from his sights. He, Kaneda and the gang had to find their friend!

'No! I can't let him get away! Not when he fucking knows where Mura is. AND HE STILL HAS HIS FUCKING KEYS!' Tetsuo yelled in his thoughts as he was chasing. Just as the running teen rounded the corner, a fist came directly at him, punching the lights out of him. The teen groaned before abruptly falling to the ground. Tetsuo stopped at the sight to see Kaneda retract his fist from the air after giving the teen a harsh blow. Kai, Yamagata, Takeyama and Kuwata ran beside Kaneda.

"Tetsuo, what happened before I came here?" Kaneda asked his childhood friend, doing his best to control his still brewing anger.

"This asshole tried to attack me from behind after me and Kai separated. We fought, I beat him but he pulls a dirty trick on me and starts running. And that's when you came in." Tetsuo explained, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Shit, you really did a number on the bastard, Tetsuo." Kai whistled, blurting out the damages he gave. Tetsuo simply scoffed.

"We have a bigger problem to worry about and that's asking this dipshit where Mura is." Yamagata reminded everyone, as he glared down at the teen.

"Heh I knocked him out, so it's gonna take a while." Kaneda replied as he mocked himself in his mind. Then again the creep deserved it and in a way reduced his anger now that his fist made contact with someone's face. Tetsuo was on edge like the rest of his comrades, but his fists were still clenched in his pockets, the angst still plaguing him as it did last night.

~~KANEDA~~

6:25 pm

'Smart move Shotaro...smart move.' Kaneda's conscience mocked his mind. He really knocked the teen out bad. Then again Tets literally gave him more damages to to the teen's face than when Kaneda had punched him. The last thing Kaneda needed was to actually deform the man's face out of emotional and violent anger or the gang killing him. He was aware that emotions and anger was never a good thing for him or his gang to feel. Especially with him and Tetsuo.

Because the teen was knocked out for a while, members of the gang started to add layers to their clothes or change to their biker outfits with added layers due to the cold weather dropping, while the others watched the unconscious teen. Kaneda was in his red jumpsuit, with a red sweatshirt and his iconic biker jacket. Tetsuo added a jacket underneath his oversized cyan sweater, Yamagata wore two layers of long sleeve shirts with a heavy set jacket. Kai wore a short trench coat over his casual business fashion and other layers. Every member wore another layer as the temperature dropped while they took turns to watch the teen in order to change. Now they were in an isolated part of the alleyway, Kai had his silver wrench in his hands.

But...it was starting to get odd now that the teen has yet to wake up despite the cold air hitting everyone's faces.

"Tch, nice going to knock him out, Kani." Tetsuo blurted out, causing Kaneda to roll his eyes in annoyance.

"Don't fucking rub in my face now, Tets. I'm starting to feel that this shit is odd since he hasn't got up yet." Kaneda replied, narrowing his eyes at the teen while Tetsuo growled slightly at the nickname Kaneda called him. 

There was really something very strange about why the teen was still down. He wasn't the only with the same thoughts.

"Hold on a sec…" Yamagata broke the silence and walked up to the teen who was on a broken down chair they found in the alleyway. Kaneda, Tetsuo and the rest of The Capsules eyed Yamagata with confusion at what the taller teen was gonna do. Before any of them could ask, Yamagata punched the teen's gut. This instantly caused said teen to a small wheezing and coughing state. The entire gang was shocked at this but turned to bitterness and fury to now find out that he was trying to fake and remain unconscious in order to kill time.

"Hey dipshit! You thought that faking things in order to find your way out of this was a good idea!" Yamagata spat, glaring at the teen below him. Kaneda and Tetsuo wasted no time in rushing towards the teen until they stopped right in front of me.

"Alright fuckface. You've killed enough time for trying that bullshit. Now you happen to have Nimura keys since the time he was missing…" Kaneda trailed off, jiggling his best friend's keys in his hands for the teen to see. "So you happen to know where our buddy is. So where is he?" Kaneda demanded, not batting his eyes from him. Said teen looked into Kaneda's eyes with defiance. It caused an intense staring contest between the two.

"Why...do you want to know? And why do you want to know about Nimura or whatever his name is…?" The teen broke the silence, rolling his eyes. A slap came to his face, which caused his face to whip to his left. Kaneda wanted to punch him badly, his veins aching to knock him out again but he resorted to slapping him.

"One...put some respect on my friend's name. Two I get to ask the questions here, dipshit, and three...where the fuck is Nimura!?" Kaneda stated, as his voice raised loudly from asking the whereabouts of a burgundy haired teen. The angst was killing him. He and the gang needed to know where Nimura is and the thought of him having to do something with his disappearance or worse something to Nimura only made his blood boil.

"Ugh you guys shouldn't be looking for him anyways. There's no damn point, he's probably being tortured to death by now." The teen spat. A punch was delivered to his face instantly, and the impact of it was so hard forcing the teen back with the chair breaking underneath him. The teen looked up to the teens despite the pain but paled when he saw the dark, menacing gazes of Kaneda, Tetsuo, Yamagata, Kai and the rest of the gang. A whimper came out of the teen's mouth.

"What…?" Kaneda interrogated, venom evident in his tone. This fucking asshat is lying. Nimura's not getting tortured. He isn't. He isn't. But Kaneda's brain was saying otherwise. The atmosphere plunged several degrees colder than what the temperature really was.

"What the fuck do you mean…he's 'probably getting tortured to death by now?" Kai quoted, voice so calm yet masked with a dangerous undertone that it made Kai's voice sound a little deeper than before, making the teen's hair stick out as he patted the wrench.

Tetsuo didn't want to say anything. He couldn't trust himself to speak in this moment, otherwise he would lurch forward and give the teen the beating to end all beatings. He was doing his best to restrain himself from lurching forward and beat him. All he saw was red right now. Yamagata was thinking along the same lines, he really wanted to bash his head with the club he has now that he hears that his friend whom he considers his little brother is in dangerous hands. And what pissed him off more was that those hands torturing his friend were stained with Nimura's blood.

Kaneda grabbed the teen up by the collar but this time using his strength to lift him up from the ground.

"WHERE IS NIMURA!? WHERE IS HE!? YOU KNOW ALOT OF SHIT AFTER YOU JUST SAID THAT SO WHERE THE FUCK DID YOU TAKE HIM!?" Kaneda screamed, voice echoing so loud that the pigeons were scattering away from the area. The teen was shaking, unable to form coherent sentences until…

"I'm gonna start pulling out teeth then since this fucking bastard wants to keep his mouth shut!" Kai declared, and that caused the teen being held by Kaneda to yelp.

"O-okay! OKAY OKAY I'll admit it! I'll tell you guys where he is being held! I-I was paid to do this by the remaining Akashi gang members and some psychotic professional male…" The teen trailed off, gulping down the blood that was dripping from within his mouth. 

The gang was shocked. Their former rival biker gang, the Akashi were behind this!? They went as far as to kidnap and torture his childhood friend? But also he said a professional psychotic man? So that means another party is involved in Nimura's disappearance. Kaneda was starting to blank out from the amount of anger and irritation that has him in chains and it was going to push him to the edge from all of this. He felt so utterly disgusted with this and he hated it.

He threw the teen to the floor, the chair pieces broke more as the teen was thrown.

"Where is Ni-"

"He is in the old city...in a warehouse under the overpass from bridge 3. He's there al-alright!?" The teen yelled, his voice straining from the pain of getting a hell's beating. The moment he mentioned the location of Nimura, Kaneda and The Capsules darted down the alleyway to get to their bikes, none of them looking back at the whimpering teen who was wiping blood from his face.

'We're all coming Mura. We're going to save you. Just hang in there alright bro, we're coming!' Kaneda said in his thoughts as he got on his bike, turned on the engine and drove off, leading his comrades to catch up to him with the same thoughts of saving Nimura.

"You better fucking be okay Nimura...you better still be breathing…" Kaneda's voice trailed off, his voice lowering as his mind was unable to conjure anymore thoughts. It didn't help his nerves completely, even with the gang beside him speeding down the road to the expressway.

~~NIMURA~~

6:40 pm

Cold. That's all he was feeling beside the excruciating pain flowing through his body. He felt like his body was on fire even though his skin was ice cold from being exposed to the chilling atmosphere. Everything was hurting. The cuts, bleeding hemorrhages, pounding headache, the puncture marks from the needles he received, his wrists swell from the ropes, all of it was a painful sight to bear with. But it was unbearable. He was tied to the chair, and underneath the chair was dry blood upon blood, making a crimson circle around the chair and him.

The blindfold had loosened slightly in his eyes but his head was profusely bleeding, coming down from his left side and covering his left eye. The blood dampened the blindfold that was secured around his eyes. He tried to remain calm. He tried to the best of his ability to take in short breaths despite the extreme pain but he let out a few groans from it.

Tsuchino Kazunari…

That's his captor's name. His name sent a chill down his spine because of the meanings, yet it fits him perfectly because of his nature. Nimura still doesn't know what he looks like, but he will recognize his malevolent and croak voice that makes him unsettled. For over 12 hours of intense torture, Nimura didn't know what time it was or whether it was the daytime or nightime. He had no food or water in his system, and the drinking of his blood that was in his mouth for a while made it more disgusting and had been giving him the urge to vomit. He never felt pain like this before and it nauseated him. He never felt so squeamish of blood around him until now. Everything was hurting him that he sometimes wheezed, coughed, and even groaned in pain. His voice was dry and hoarse, to the point his volume is barely above a whisper.

He heard voices in the room, but they felt like they were far away, and it was all incoherent chatter. He felt so utterly weak, drained and out of stamina. Guess that all the torturing and loss of blood from his injuries is what's causing his body to be in this state, along with being real dizzy. Kazunari had left what he thought a half-hour ago to take care of 'business'.

There was nothing much he could do, and who knows where his friends are at. They don't even know where he is located. Neither does he know where he is at, and to top it off, the remnants of the biker gang the Akashi, former rivals of The Capsules were paid by Kazunari to do this to him.

What was the purpose? Why torture him intensely, and give him several injections from the needles he was punctured with. There is a reason behind all of this, Nimura wasn't stupid, but why? Why all of this pain and suffering. He didn't want this. He didn't want to be here anymore. He wanted to be home. He wanted to be back with The Capsules. The rosary he had on his neck that he always hid behind his clothes, was torn out of his bodysuit with the fabric part ripped apart, leaving a large hole and exposing his neck and collarbone. 

The last words before the psychopathic male took his leave had terrified him and his thoughts.

'"It's a shame that your friends don't even know where you are, that means they won't know when you'll die, should you end up dead from all the injuries I've given you."' That's what was told to him, and those words ate him alive, haunting his mind.

Nimura started to shake, a plethora of thoughts ravaging his mind.

'Kaneda...Tetsuo...Kai...Yama...everyone... please help me...I don't want to be here anymore...I...it hurts...everything is hurting...I'm critically injured...please...please get me...out...of...here...Kaneda...Tetsuo...ev-everyone…' Nimura trailed off word after word in his thoughts, his headache throbbing his head tenfold.

'I don't want...to be...alone...and...to die…'

~~YAMAGATA~~

1 hour later

He was pissed off to no end along with his leader and the rest of the gang. The whole situation with Nimura's kidnapping, the traffic jams from Neo-Tokyo's rush hour, and the cops chasing them after they sped along the main road in the city which they had to split up again. It was fucking annoying.

They got out of the tunnel and sped down the deserted expressway. He was too focused on the road, nothing else except saving Nimura from whatever hell he was going through. He couldn't believe it, from last night to the entire day had been nothing but stressful, aggravating, and hellish. While Yamagata's not booksmart like Nimura, he is aware of alot things that he observes. And remembering what Kai said earlier about Nimura being a target, it rubbed Yamagata the wrong way.

"We're almost there...you guys remember the plan right!?" Kaneda spoke loudly, all of them agreeing yes or simply a nod. Yamagata's part in this plan was to lead Takeyama, Watanabe, and Kuwata attacking one side, while Shosaku, Jin, and Kenma will attack from the left side.  
Kaneda, Tetsuo and Kai will attack head on through the front. They all drove off into their positions. Yamagata held up his hand to the other 3 with him to wait for the signal.

Looking at the warehouse it has 2 floors and was very wide as it took up alot of width and square miles in the street. But Yamagata wasn't stupid, there's of course a basement in there to look at as well. The only thing that made it eerie is how empty and dark the warehouse looked.

"Alright, when those 3 in the front charge into the entrance and cause havoc, us 4 will go in through the right side windows and attack any gang members that are there, and that will prompt the group over there to attack on the left side. Got it?" Yamagata explained, looking back towards his comrades. 

"Got it." Takeyama said firmly, the other two nodded. Yet despite how confident they were feeling from the outside, the air around them was very tense and silent, like a pin drop could be heard. The silence was unnerving, and the spiraling thoughts of being here troubled Yamagata. What if that asshat was lying about the location? What if it was just a set up just for that teen to tell them to take Nimura somewhere else? What if it's an ambush-

The rumbling and sound of motorcycle snapped Yamagata out of his maze of negative thoughts, and he turned to see Kaneda, Kai, and Tetsuo charge straight to the entrance. A loud bang echoed as the trio busted the entrance, along with yelps and yells coming from the inside.

"NOW!!!" Yamagata blared, moving his bike as the other 3 following behind him. The makeshift ramps that Kai and Takeyama made 10 minutes ago to get through the window was a beneficial part for the plan to work. Yamagata sped his bike through the ramp. The shattering of glass was heard as Yamagata broke through it, with Takeyama second, Kuwata third, and Watanabe fourth. 

'So the fucking piece of shit was right...the Akashi scumbags were involved…!' Yamagata thought as he saw several remnants of their former rival gang. He took out his club and bashed it on one gang member's head, knocking him out. Takeyama and Watanabe separated to scout the area and hit others members.

"Take this shithead!" He yelled as an Akashi member tried to attack him but was countered by Yamagata's club who swung it straight into the member's ribs. A cracking sound was heard before the member dropped to the floor groaning.

"Yama! You and the rest of the gang handle things down here, me, Tetsuo and Kai are going upstairs! And don't let anyone Kaneda try to sabotage my bike!" Kaneda declared, mounting off his ride and heading upstairs with Tetsuo and Kai.

"Right! We got this guys!" Yamagata shouted, preparing himself along with the gang at whatever comes their way.

~~KANEDA~~

With his two friends beside him, Kaneda made it up to the 2nd floor, and upon arriving there they were met with an odd set of doors. This made the trio feel unsettled. What type of cesspool was this with so many doors for just a warehouse like this?

"What the fuck…? Who designed the warehouse to be built like this?" Tetsuo asked, an agitated expression on his face.

"Probably a weird person with a door fetish…" Kai commented, holding his wrench tightly.

Kaneda was not one for solving puzzles, so this bullshit right now was something he was not gonna deal with. He will break down every door if he has to find Nimura.

"This isn't some puzzle shit we're gonna solve, we will break down every door if we have to-!" A loud scream interjected the words that were coming out of his mouth. A thud was heard and it echoed the eerie hallways of the 2nd floor. They all whipped their heads around, clearly startled and tense as they already are. Sweat began to drop down Kaneda's forehead. What was that sound? Importantly, which door it came from? But that scream...that was-!

Kaneda ran forward, being alert of the doors he passed as his friends were catching up to him.

"It has to be a room that Nimura was in! THAT SCREAM BELONGED TO NIMURA!!!" Kai shouted, gritting his teeth as that scream haunted his ears. Two things were growing within Tetsuo: anger and fright. The anger was brewing with him and will soon explode once he sees the fucker that is torturing Nimura. But beside the anger is fright. How long was Nimura getting tortured? How long did they continue to do this loophole of suffering on his best friend? The thought of it only infuriated Tetsuo.

A door opened to their left to see an Akashi member with a bloodied knife running out frantically. Kaneda and the gang member made eye contact, but before the latter could act Kaneda sent a very hard punch to the face. The impact shattered his teeth and nose, hitting the ground which brought out the dust decorating the floor. Tetsuo and Kai kicked him viciously before the Akashi member could get back up. Kaneda looked in the room and his eyes widened in shock. 

There was a corpse of an Akashi member on the floor with multiple gashes, still bleeding into the floor. So it was the knife? But an Akashi member stabbing their own comrade? His thought froze when he looked to his right, eyes widening further and face turning pale to see a familiar figure, showered in blood, along with blood coming from his head...no...fuck no...that can't be Nimura on the floor…

"Kani why the fuck are you standing-" Tetsuo stopped be behind Kaneda with Kai beside him. If the thought of Nimura disappearing was bad, seeing his friend in that state was horrifying. The image of a battered and bleeding Nimura traumatized him. It was the most painful sight to see and it made him want to vomit at what he was looking at.

"NIMURAAAA!!!" The trio screamed simultaneously, sprinting to the biker comrade. Kaneda kneeled down to Nimura, Tetsuo right beside him while Kai went to untie the burgundy haired teen's bindings.

"H-hey Mura you alright!? Oh my god what the fuck did they do to you!?" Kaneda shouted, his voice shaking at the sheer amount of damage that was relevant.

"Mura, speak to us, can you hear us!? Please say something!" Tetsuo urged desperate to hear a word or at least some movement. What the fuck was wrong with them!? They went so damn far in torturing his friend! What type of shit were they doing to Nimura.

Tetsuo unbinded the blindfold to see his childhood's friend bloodied face and nearly lifeless expression. He coughed from not breathing.

"Ka...Kane...da...Tet...suo...Kai...is that...really you…?" Nimura strained his voice, unable to move because of the extreme pain.

"Yeah bro it's us! What happened to you!? How badly are you hurt!?" Kaneda replied back, desperately asking his friend's condition while looking at his hemhorrages. It was scary to see all of these injuries around his torso and legs. How long were these injuries untreated and how long he had them!?

"It...hurts...so...much...in alot of...pain-augh!" Nimura tried to speak, but he coughed up blood. This only made his friends shrivel in panic.

"Don't strain yourself anymore Mura. We're getting you out of here and taking you to the hospital okay!? Just please hang on!" Kaneda yelled back nervously, grabbing Nimura slowly but carefully.

"How...I'm so...badly injured…" Nimura replied, while he was on Kaneda's back.

"Don't talk like that Mura! Hang in there!" Tetsuo's voice was starting to break, eyes getting misty from the scare they were dealing with. They ran downstairs to find Yamagata and the rest downstairs. They all turned to see them, but Nimura's battered form was what made their eyes paralyzed and unable to look away.

"Holy fuck...what did they do to you Nimura!?" Yamagata shouted, unable to comprehend the sight before him or erase the image he saw of his little brother comrade.

"No time for any bullshit! We're heading to the hospital RIGHT NOW!!!" Kaneda ordered, leaving no rooms for questions or other words. 

They were mounting on their bikes, Kaneda and Tetsuo coming out last.

"You guys...came...you guys...saved me from...that hell...but I'm in so much pain…" Nimura trailed off due to the pain. Kaneda and Tetsuo were in so much turmoil from hearing those words as they put their childhood friend on Kaneda's bike. He used a cable to strap him to his back before they all took off.

"Listen we're gonna make it okay Mura!? We're gonna get you to the hospital! Just please...please don't die on us...don't die on us Nimura." Kaneda trailed off, blinking his eyes of tears in order to drive down the road.

"Stay with us...don't leave me, Tetsuo and the others…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am a very bad person am I? Sorry I just needed to make it tense and emotional for the characters and the auidence. Nimura is saved, but now comes the aftermath. How will the characters and Nimura deal with this? Next time on Chapter 6! The emotional and angst hasn't ended yet >:)


	6. In The Eyes of Others

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Capsules rescued Nimura, but despite that, the negative emotions of guilt and fear swirled within them. They blame themselves for not being more responsible as Capsule members to not look out for one another and Kaneda and Tetsuo suffer the most as they see their childhood friend in a comatose state. How long will Nimura remain unconscious?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Guys! Sorry for the late post, I was looking over this new chapter here and I have to say this is a very long chapter switching from different point of views. Yet it was worth it. I hope this chapter does some good angst and justice for the story because I felt kind of nervous writing it. Anyways enjoy!
> 
> I DO NOT OWN AKIRA. ALL CHARACTERS AND MATERIALS ARE OWNED BY OTOMO KATSUHIRO  
> OCs BELONG TO ME

~~KANEDA~~

Anger, irritation, fright and guilt circled Kaneda's mind. The beeping of the machine monitoring his childhood friend's heartbeat didn't help either. Rather it clawed at him, mocked at him, and insulted him in an emotional way. Despite everything that happened and the rescuing of Nimura was a win, the injuries and mental wounds his friend received was the major concern. Tortured for over 12 hours? 7 wounds that needed stitches? He'll have scars from the wounds that can't heal completely? How is Kaneda supposed to feel any better from this? How the fuck him and Tetsuo were supposed to feel better about the news?

When he and The Capsules brought Nimura to the hospital, he fell unconscious from the amount of injuries he sustained. Luckily the doctors were able to save Nimura but he needed intensive care, and what pissed him and the gang off was when it was late at night, they were told to leave because there were too many of them. The thought of leaving Nimura caused anger and panic because of the fact he was alone when he was kidnapped and to fucking hell were they gonna leave him again. Much to his luck, another doctor had intervened, and while they all couldn't stay, he mentioned only a handful were allowed to stay. Kaneda and Tetsuo stood in the waiting room. Yamagata and Kai wanted to stay but Kaneda had told Yamagata and Kai to keep the gang stable. Since Nimura was second in command and was out of commission, Yama was third in command. Kaneda was not going to leave his childhood friend behind, and neither was Tetsuo.

Kaneda looks up, seeing Nimura in a comatose state, an IV in his hand, multiple bandages around his arms, and a respirator tube on his nose. Kaneda once again looked down, a heavy sigh escaped his mouth. He pulled out something from his pocket to see the rosary that was on the floor of the warehouse smeared in blood, in his hands. The rosary had a pattern of red, black, and brown beads on it. A conflicted expression was plastered on his face. Dread continued to cloud his emotions.

Flashback (8 years ago)

"Hey what you got there, Nimura?" Kaneda asked, wearing a purple T-shirt, beige shorts and sneakers.

"Huh? Oh this...a rosary that my parents gave me. I don't really know what it means though." The aforementioned boy replies to his friend. He seemed as if he was going to toss the traditional neckwear in the trash can.

"Did they give it to you before you were sent here?" Tetsuo asked, coming up from the slide. Nimura had a contemplative look on his face for Tetsuo's question.

"I don't remember...but I remember that my mother and father had given to me, and had told me to always hold on to it. I guess this was a way for me to remember them." Nimura responded, not realizing how bad the action was coming from his parents. Kaneda and Tetsuo frowned at that response.

"Hey Nimura, maybe you should still hold on to it. Think of it as a gift from your parents rather than something bad." Kaneda said, a look of determination to help his friend. Nimura looked up to Kaneda, surprised by what he said.

"As a gift…? Even if I don't remember why it was given to me in the first place?" The child asked. Kaneda gave Nimura a small smile. 

"Yeah. Treasure it like it's something that you really desire, a way of saying everything will be alright with that thing on you." Kaneda responded, pointing to the rosary.

"Like a lucky charm in a way. It may not be something you expected to have, but it's the one thing that will help you, the one thing that will help you remember a thing about your parents." Tetsuo added in, putting a hand on Nimura's shoulder. Said boy could barely comprehend the amount of words being said to him, as well as the glee feeling developing in him, and both Kaneda and Tetsuo didn't miss the way Nimura's eyes lit up.

"Okay...thank you. That actually makes things feel alot better than making it look like it was given away for me just to hold it." He said, thanking both of his friends. The duo smiled at that, something they rarely do before.

"Remember Nimura, when you feel down about something, always look at the rosary you have on, and remember the words I told you to help you in a way alright?" Kaneda said, making Nimura nod. Kaneda made a promise. He made a promise to not just protect Tetsuo, but Nimura as well.

Present

Kaneda still held the rosary in his hand, staring down at it. A tear dropped down from his eyes into the hand with the rosary. The walls that once held in Kaneda's emotions had cracked, and he doubted he could hold back any tears.

"How can you remember that everything is alright now that...everything has gone downhill? How can you look at this rosary now and say you're okay when you're not?" He sniffled, voice cracking from the emotions welling up in him. He gritted his teeth, preventing himself from letting loose and clenched his hands, pressuring it between his head.

"I'm sorry Mura...I'm fucking sorry you had to go through that hell. I promised to protect you...I promised that I'll be by your side to help you like a best friend should...but I fucking failed! I fucking couldn't protect you! Now you're in this mess...and in this state...shit Mura." Kaneda strained out, voice cracked as his emotional rant made it worse, and the uncomfortable silence in the room only made the feeling worse. He doesn't know where Tetsuo went, did he even go to the vending machine? At least he needs someone to vent to right now to get these negative feelings off his chest. But that probably wouldn't work. Even if he was partially alone and no one conscious was here to see him like this, he preferred not to be seen as being a leader meant he had to be the strong one with a solid stance.

"Mura...I'm sorry. I hope you wake up soon man." He said, sniffling and rubbing his eyes.

~~TETSUO~~

Saying he was going to go get snacks from the vending machine was just half the truth. In reality he went to the restroom, to clear his head. Did it work? No. Did taking a breather help ease his anxious nerves? No. Tetsuo couldn't think at all. His thoughts jumbled together and he honestly didn't want to buy snacks anymore now that the thought of food is making him nauseous. 

Ever since they found Nimura all battered, bruised and bleeding, it terrorized Tetsuo. It was worse when he, Kaneda and Kai couldn't figure out where the blood from his head was dripping because his hair color matched the crimson substance! Now he knew that sometimes Nimura should've kept it black. It was last night that made the ravenette realize just how someone could easily be taken away from his life. The image of seeing a nearly lifeless Nimura was something he'd wish he could erase his memory of. The groan and cry of pain, the cuts and blood loss that was seen, the way he was tortured it was like a nightmare that continued to go on loop over and over. He hadn't even told Kaori. What was he gonna tell her!? Like him, Kaori is also attached to Nimura as well and has that brotherly influence on her, which gives him a sincere feeling from that. But how was he going to tell her? How!?

Tears dropped from Tetsuo's eyes. He was overwhelmed. His will of keeping his composure was falling apart as his emotions had surged. He had to control himself from getting out of control, he hated how his emotions got to him. Yet at the same time he saw Nimura like that and it shattered Tetsuo's and Kaneda's emotional and mental fortitude. He was scared. He was really fucking scared for Nimura's life.

He punched the metal door leading to the stall, creating an echoing force throughout the room.

"It's gonna be ok...I'm here for you. Me and Kaneda are here for you, Nimura. We're gonna be together for life.” He remembered what he told Nimura that day in autumn when they were at the orphanage. The words of helping out his childhood friend back then, the courage to protect Nimura the times him, Kaneda and Nimura were victims of bullying, brawls, and getting in trouble for no fucking absolute reason. He felt sick to the stomach. He kept punching the metal, not caring if his fist creates a dent.

"It's all my fucking fault...he was right behind me when I had the chance to tell him to stay with me and Kaneda heading back. It's my fault! Can't believe how much of a bad friend I am! I wasn't there...I wasn't there when he was being t-tortured and beaten! He was in pain...so much pain…and I wasn't there to help him!" Tetsuo whisper-yelled, tears falling down rapidly from his eyes no matter how many times he wiped them. 

He never felt so worked up and traumatized in his life and now mentally messed up his mind is at seeing Nimura's current state. He had a nightmare when he was sleeping in the hospital waiting with Kaneda. A nightmare of not making it in time and seeing Nimura die instead, his blood splattered on the ground. It wasn't just the image of the nightmare that taunted and traumatized him, but it was the words he said before Nimura in his nightmare died.

'Tetsuo...you said you were going to be by my side...how could you...why did you lie to me…" Those words in his nightmare gave the ravenette goosebumps as he sniffled and tried to regain his composure. It wasn't helping him no matter how hard he tried to not think about it. It just wouldn't disappear from his mind's archives. 

"I'm so sorry Mura...I'm so sorry I wasn't there when you needed me, when you needed me and Kaneda, when you needed us! How can I call myself a friend when I wasn't there to save you in time from the brutal, physical and psychological torture you were enduring?" Tetsuo apologized, his voice cracked an octave from the crying. He felt like his promise was all a broken lie and held no firm ground in it. He felt so fucking useless and weak.

He hated that feeling so much. It gnawed at him, provoked him because he would half the time on the receiving end for help and backup. He felt weak due to the emotions that were swelling up inside of him that were tearing him apart.

"I really hope you wake up soon...we need you back. Especially me and Kaneda." Tetsuo blurted out, regaining his composure and wiping his face with cold water. He took one good look in the mirror before leaving. God he looked like shit. He couldn't fix his face either with all the shit that was going on. He was glad nobody was in the restroom to hear his emotional rant. His fist was hurting from a continuation of punching the metal door, a bruise would definitely form and be aching him later on. He left out and went to get the snacks from the vending machine.

What was hurting him more was the thought of telling Kaori this. And that alone broke Tetsuo's heart even if he hasn't told her yet. He wasn't prepared for her reaction.

~~YAMAGATA~~

The plethora of thoughts invading the tall teen's mind just irked him. A mixture of anger, nervousness, and sadness flowed through Yamagata. He was smoking a cigarette outside in the courtyard of his school. Despite it being a Saturday and it only required the special ed kids to come in, Yamagata needed to be out of the dorm apartment to just get some air. It didn't do much to ease him. Smoking a cigarette, and as it is in his hand, that wasn't helping.

When Nimura was brought to the hospital and after an argument with one staff member there until the intervention of another doctor, he wanted to stay with Kaneda and Tetsuo to see Nimura's well being. But he knew that someone needed to keep the gang together while his leader and Nimura who's the second in command were unavailable. So he, along with Kai and the gang left, sour and melancholic expressions visible on their faces.

Just how did a payback attempt towards The Clowns led to something as dark and messed up as seeing Nimura beaten, bleeding, and bruised? He knew that it's sabotage, but why Nimura? Why target the one person he's protective of like his 3 other close friends he met first? It tugged at his being. It was just fucked up to whoever deranged asshole did that to his little brother. It rubbed him the wrong ways as he thought of the reasons behind Nimura's personalized torture. 

He threw the cigarette to the ground, uncaring of where it landed and looked up at the sky. A memory crossed his mind as he continued to remember it.

Flashback (1 year ago)

"So 3 new members have joined The Capsules...I'd say we're good with just 15 if we get the chance to add more potential candidates to the gang." Nimura explained as Yamagata sat across from him. Kai, Kaneda and Tetsuo were on their way to the Harukiya at the moment, with new plans to make bikes for the new members as well as announcing their official membership.

"You seem kinda content about this Mura. This is the most you've ever been this expressive before." Yamagata said, chuckling at how Nimura was organizing the papers.

"Huh? It's just I'm surprised in a way. To have a gang this large and growing in numbers. We have the smallest number of biker gang members in Neo-Tokyo, yet we're rivals with the Akashis who have a number of 24 in their bosozoku gang." Nimura replied back, drinking his first shot of liquor for the night.

"Hey man you shouldn't be drinking that dog piss! You don't know what that seedy bartender has put in it." Yamagata scolded, wary of the contents of the liquor he got from the counter. Nimura responded with a deadpan look.

"Don't act like you haven't drinken anything from here either Yama. You usually get drunk off of what drinks are here." Nimura countered, much to Yamagata's chagrin. He puts his hands up in surrender.

"But still, sometimes he be a little fishy with the way he does things. Just looking out for ya alright." Yamagata replied, leaning into the table. Nimura simply nodded, and he caught his friend staring into the space.

"Hey you alright? You're spacing out now." Yamagata asked, waving his hands in front of Nimura's face which took him out of his trance. 

"Yeah I'm fine. It's just, I've been thinking alot about all the things I've been through from the past to now. I honestly didn't expect my life to be full of thrills and new adventures, and I'm here experiencing it all." Nimura answered. His answer let out an air of sincerity. Yamagata knew most of Nimura's past through Kaneda of course. He knew the trio Nimura, Kaneda and Tetsuo were childhood friends since their days in the orphanage. 

"And you feel okay with that? The way your life is now, with us, with The Capsules?" Yamagata asked, a calm expression on his face. Nimura looked at Yamagata for this question before a sliver of his lips curved up very little.

"I'm grateful for all the good things that happened to me. And I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world." Nimura concluded. Yamagata chuckled before a smile was on his face. 

"I'm glad you feel that way Mura. Just know Yama here is your big brother in the gang, and he's got your back no matter what happens. You got your family right here before you." Yamagata replied, ruffling Nimura's dyed burgundy hair. Nimura simply fixed his hair, not fazed by the ruffling. Though had it been ruffling Tetsuo's hair, he would've released a field of colorful expletives coming out of his mouth.

"Thanks Yama. I really appreciate it." Nimura replied back, his eyes gleaming a little.

"If you need something or a call for help, and Kaneda, Tetsuo or Kai ain't available, you got someone here who will be by your side, alright?" It was idle chatter afterwards until Kaneda, Tetsuo, Kai and the rest of the gang.

Present

"Some older brother I am huh?" Yamagata mocked himself, a mellow tone leaving his mouth. He had a fusion of a glare and gloomy look. It's hard for him not to erase the image of Nimura's bloody figure being held up by Kaneda. That was something he never wanted to experience again. 

"Nobody's gonna fucking touch Nimura...the next time someone does they will be missing limbs." Yamagata warned, his protective instincts surfacing. And he was sure that was a promise.

~~KAISUKE~~

To say he's upset was an understatement. He had not slept at all last night. He had been with Yamagata the whole night, not returning to the dorms until the crack of dawn. 

Kai had been struggling to think of anything else but Nimura, one of two friends he made since he fought that rival gang member in the yards of the dystopian urban. Since being a member of The Capsules and meeting the leader, he looked up to both Nimura and Yamagata as role models in the gang. The dandere of the gang, the odd yet unique one. Kai felt that Nimura was easy to talk to at the time and enjoys hanging out with him along with the rest of the gang.

But from the events of last night, it was a turn he wasn't expecting. Not when he, Kaneda and Tetsuo ran up the stairs and found their friend near death's door. The injuries, the blood, the whole scene was a catastrophe. He had blood on his hands when he untied Nimura's bindings. And even if he washed them off, he could still feel like they were on his hands.

"Nimura...what happened to you?" Kai broke the silence in The Capsules bike warehouse. His voice was cracked and hoarse. He had been in the warehouse for 2 hours, yet had paused on the bike he was repairing, the purple bike that belonged to Nimura which he found while he and Yamagata went to the Umeno Industrial district to find any clues pertaining to what else caused the sabotage. Seeing the bike enlightened Kai but at the same filled him with dread.

Did they knock him out the bike as he was riding away from the district? Was his bike sabotaged too? What was the purpose of taking Nimura and beating the dear life out of him? This angered Kai at the same time making him more sorrowful. 

"It hasn't been the same without you Nimura...the mood has gone down since you're in the hospital. I hope you get better soon. A gang isn't a gang without all of it's family members in it." Kai spoke, tears threatening to leak from his eyes but he blinked them away to the best of his ability. He was scared the way Nimura looked, his eyes looked so dark that death was close to snatching him away.

"I'm gonna make you happy again. I'm gonna fix your bike that I found and help redesign it again. That look of lifelessness is the look I never want to see or experience again." Kai said, getting the paper Nimura gave him to redesign his bike. A determined look was on his face, sprinkled with remorse. He is hoping his friend wakes up. He earlier this morning by himself. He doesn't want to relive another moment of despair again. He's gonna make Nimura happy when he wakes up. A tear fell from his eyes and onto the drawing.

~~KAORI~~

2 hours later

She was on edge. Her skin was covered in goosebumps. She hadn't seen Tetsuo all day and night, and the same applies for Nimura. Just what happened yesterday?

Kaori had 3 hours of sleep. That's not her normal hours of sleep. She didn't understand why her stomach was feeling queasy and her anxiety rising by the minute. Yet she understood one thing, something bad happened. 

So the moment that one of the gang members, who she learned his name was Shosaku, told her that Tetsuo and the gang were at the hospital, her blood ran cold. Why were they in the hospital? Did something bad happen yesterday that led all of them to be there? She happened to find out that Shosaku was the last person of the gang who was going to the hospital and he offered to take her, and she reluctantly complied. Through the windy and fast ride of Neo-Tokyo, her thoughts were racing a million miles in her head and her once calm and shy demeanor was replaced with anxiety and fear. Fear of the unknown.

"We're here." Shosaku said, calling her out of her trance. When she stepped off the bike, the pressure of dread got deeper, like it was chaining her to the ground. Each step she took felt heavy, and as she stepped into the hospital with Shosaku trailing behind her, her mind was telling her to go back. But she didn't. She trudged forward and kept calm as best as she could to the receptionist.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for...T-"

"Hasegawa Nimura? Yes he was brought in here last night, but are you in anyway related to him?" The young receptionist added. Although Kaori didn't mention Nimura's name but judging by how he was first mentioned, that meant something happened to him, and fright filled her stomach at the thought.

"No...he has no family members or relatives. He was orphaned at a young age." Kaori responded, feeling shaky about this whole thing. She was starting to sweat, her coat and layers of clothing was constricting her movements and breathing.

"I figured that. His friends had shown up just an hour ago, although two of them had stood all night here. The patient is on the 4th floor, room 415." And just as the receptionist said that Kaori left towards the elevator alongside Shosaku. 

"Kaneda and Tetsuo were with Nimura all night. They were hellbent on staying with him. We wanted to as well, but we couldn't since there were a large number of us here." Shosaku said. Kaori gulped as she said her next sentence.

"What happened last night to Nimura?" She asked, trembling a little out of anxiety. The elevator dinged to the 4th floor as Shosaku was hesitant in replying.

"I...I don't know how to explain it...it's best if you see for yourself." Shosaku replied, eyes casted downward, and Kaori didn't like the way the response was, rather how vague and unsure it was and now her thoughts were assuming the worst. She went down the hallway and the moment she found room 415, she sped up. She turned on the doorway and her eyes widened in shock, lips parted. She couldn't believe what was in front of her. Nimura, in a comatose state, with multiple bandages and an IV on his hand. She gasped, clasping a hand over her mouth and began trembling in panic at seeing Nimura so damaged. She walked towards the unconscious teen, trying to think that what she was seeing was some sort of hallucination, but no matter how many times she blinked, she still saw Nimura there, unconscious and in critical condition. Now she was beside him, face pale like a ghost and shaking. Those eyes of hers can never unsee her wounded friend.

"N-Nimura...what happened to you? Who did this to you?" Kaori whispered, unable to keep calm anymore and all resolve to her composure had vanished. Her eyes began to water at seeing her brotherly figure shattered and battered.

"K-Kaori!?" A familiar voice called out. She turned behind her to see none other than her boyfriend, the love of her life, Tetsuo who was completely shocked at her appearance.

"What are you doing here? Did one of The Capsules-!" He didn't get to finish his sentence as he felt a weight thrown at him. He was surprised to see her hug him tightly. He stuttered, trying to find the words to talk. But the second he heard her sobbing silently, the world around him stopped. His heart shattered into a million pieces at her crying. This is what he feared. He was scared of telling her what happened and he couldn't figure out ways to tell her.

"What...happened...Tetsuo? What happened last night?" Kaori asked, her voice strain from sobbing. Tetsuo was unable to think of thoughts, his brain couldn't conjure any words as all he heard was Kaori crying. And it hurt. Damn it fucking hurt him. Now two things were hurting him right now and it only sent him further to despair. He hugged her back, holding her tightly as he put his chin on top of her head. He wasn't one for affection as he isn't good with revealing emotions, but right now, he needed to comfort her. They needed to comfort each other. His eyes once again were watery, he closed them to prevent any tears from falling. He needed to stay strong for Kaori. 

She couldn't understand how this all happened. Her friend who she grown close to was marred and battered. She can never forget this trauma that she was seeing. She wanted to get away from this nightmare that will haunt her.

"Please Nimura...please wake up…" She trailed off, the words muffling into Tetsuo's sweatshirt, who still held on to her as she still cried. They stood like that for a while, holding each other in comfort and the horrible sight before them could never be unseen.

~~NIMURA~~

A week later

All he felt was soreness and aches throughout his body. He realized he was laying on something soft, and the moment he inhaled through his nose, the smell of antiseptic invaded his airways. He was at a hospital.

He opened his eyes slowly, and the bright lights above made him blink his eyes shut before opening them again and again until he could adjust to the brightness in the room. He needed to look around the room to adjust to his surroundings and hope that this wasn't a dream. 

But the moment he stood up slowly, a sharp jolt of pain made him recoil from sitting up. Yep. This wasn't a dream, but it was a pain in the ass. He glanced around the room, illuminated by the orange sun rays, no doubt it was sunset. 

"How long was I out for...and where is everybody?" Nimura asked, voice dry and hoarse. He casted his head down and scratched his neck. He heard multiple things crashed to the floor which startled him and glanced up fast, another jolt of pain was felt. He saw Kai standing by the doorway, eyes wide and his mouth gaping, as he dropped chips, box of pocky, and a water bottle to the floor.

"Kai?" Nimura asked, somewhat nervous at why he was being stared like that. The aforementioned teen sputtered before his lips curved into a fully fledged smile. 

"Holy...Holy shit you're awake! Mura you're awake!" Kai yelled, tears of joy cascading down his face. The fact that Kai was crying and the reaction he got when he woke up, sent a mixture of worry and confusion. 

"Hold on l-let me get Kaneda and the others!" He choked out, before sprinting out the door like a maniac. The thought of his friends here made him relaxed. At least he wasn't alone in this medical facility. He turned to his right to see a glass of water there and some magazines. He wished it was manga or a comic to read. He took the glass of water, realizing it was cool and began taking big gulps of it down. When he finished it he set back on the table. Multiple footsteps were heard running by the door, and he looked up to see Kaneda, Tetsuo, Yamagata, with surprised expressions, Kai was behind them.

"Mura! Shit you're awake! Are you alright man?" Kaneda shouted, standing right beside the bed where his childhood friend was sitting. Tetsuo was right beside Kaneda, Yamagata on the other side and Kai at the end.

"Yeah. I'm fine guys, just very, very sore. And hungry." Nimura replied, clearing this throat now that the water helped it better. 

"I'm really glad you're okay and awake now. Shit's been hell without you around." Kaneda responded, and that made Nimura sport a confused expression.

"Wait...how long was I out for?" His stomach began to churn from asking the question.

"You were out for a week Mura. A whole 7 days." Tetsuo stated, clear worry in his eyes. Nimura's eyes widened, lips parted away. A week!? He was out for a week? Just how bad were the injuries he sustained? 

"We had to do alot of crowd control back at school with the damn idiotic teachers. It was fucking hell. Even Kaori stopped by to check up on you. She was devastated needless to say." Kai piped in, crossing his arms with a solemn expression. Sadness overcame the burgundy haired teen. He knew Kaori was traumatized at the image of seeing him in this room. He needed to see her. And ask her mental well being. Wait, how are these guys doing? Should he ask them?

"Are you guys okay? Like how are you all feeling?" Nimura asked, glancing from Kaneda to Tetsuo to Kai to Yamagata. Their faces were anything but happy. But it was Yamagata who broke the silence.

"You put a scare in us all. You nearly died from your injuries but the doctors were able to save you. Kaneda and Tetsuo had stood here all night when you were first brought in. And the two of them came in everyday to come and see you while we did as well, at the same time had to do crowd control." Nimura looked to both Kaneda and Tetsuo, both sporting frowns on their faces. Nimura could decipher the negative emotions on both of his childhood friend's faces, and it made Nimura feel hurt inside.

"Nimura...I'm glad that you're up. You may have those injuries hurting you right now but what matters is that you're okay and that you're alive." Kaneda blurted out, leading the Capsule leader and the other 3 to stare at Nimura with warm eyes. Nimura couldn't really comprehend alot of the warmth, but he was grateful and content with all this. 

Before he could respond to that, a knock on the door interrupted them, and they all glanced to see the doctor who had brown hair, black eyes, and light skin tone. He looked to be the ages of 35 to 40 years old.

"Hey you're the doctor that let me and Kaneda stay all day and night last week." Tetsuo stated, a little surprised by him appearing.

"That's correct. I'm Dr. Nakamura. I'm here to check up on Nimura here. I'm ecstatic he's actually awake now. As much I want to you keep you guys here I have to conduct the physical check ups and injuries in private." Nakamura responded. The 4 Capsules members however felt uncomfortable leaving Nimura alone.

"Come on Doc, he was alone that time last week when he was taken and all. At least let us stay with him?" Yamagata asked, not feeling happy with Nimura by himself, with Kai nodding his head. Kaneda and Tetsuo, after that traumatic experience of rescuing their best friend, they didn't want to leave him alone with someone they don't full trust. Seeing this Nimura noticed the wariness and hesitancy in the group.

"Guys it's okay." He snapped the 4 of them out of their pleas and begs. "I'll be fine. You're only going to be outside the door anyways in the hallway. I'll be fine." Nimura said, glancing to Kaneda and Tetsuo. As much as they wanted to say no, the look of calmness in Nimura's irises eased them both. With reluctance, they left to the doorway, with Tetsuo looking back at at Nimura with concerned eyes before shutting the door.

Dr. Nakamura opened the bandages on his left arm to check the deep wounds. He examined them before looking at the other one.

"You have very good friends Nimura. It's wonderful that they look out for you." Dr. Nakamura said, and for some reason an air of familiarity and calm washed over the burgundy haired teen. 

"They're my friends. I knew Kaneda and Tetsuo the longest. I grew up with my childhood friends since elementary and it has been like that since. Yamagata and Kai I knew since they joined us 3 and that was a year ago." Nimura replied, as he is being helped putting the bandages back on.

"I'm happy to hear that…" Dr. Nakamura trailed off, a bright smile plastered on his face. Though Nimura could sense the doctor wanted to talk to him about something.

"Do you want to tell me something? I can tell based on your facial expressions." Nimura asked, which the doctor was surprised by that. He cleared his throat before he looked into Nimura's eyes.

"Yes...I would like to discuss some matters with you regarding your health in general and something else." Dr. Nakamura stated. Nimura sensed no malevolence or any undermining aura just by looking at the professional's face.

"...Alright then, let's hear it."

~~KANEDA~~

It's been fucking 15 minutes already and the doctor still hasn't finished his check up with his friend. Now this was getting suspicious.

"The fuck is taking them so long? I knew we shouldn't have left Mura in there with him." Tetsuo complained, not over the violent fiasco he experienced at the warehouse last week.

"That's why I wanted to stay in there, but nooo. We had to leave." Yamagata said, exasperated that Nimura said he was fine. Kaneda was clenching and unclenching his fists. He was about to go in there and see what the problem was. The moment he took a step however, the door opened and out came Dr. Nakamura.

"All clear. He's able to go home, just make sure he's gets alot of rest and a change of bandages for his wounds." The doctor said before leaving. A sigh of relied escaped the Capsule leader. They went to Nimura's room, seeing him nearly dressed as he was missing his turtleneck sweater and wool trench coat. Kaneda had gotten clothes for Nimura 3 days ago in case he woke up. The moment he was fully dressed, he joined the group. The rest of the gang were in the waiting room. 

"Hey Mura." Kaneda called out, and Nimura glanced at him, Kaneda showed him his rosary.

"Oh shit. I thought I lost it when I was going through what I was going through over there." Nimura replied, taking the rosary from Kaneda's hands. 

"I found it next to you, I wasn't gonna leave that behind. That belongs to you buddy." Kaneda smirked despite his emotions of last week haunting his mind a little, regarding the rosary in a way. Kaneda stood in front of Nimura, Tetsuo was to Nimura's left, Yamagata was on Nimura's right, and Kai was behind him. It was a protective stance they formed around Nimura.

"Guys when we get back, we're celebrating for a bit. I'm watching over your health for now Mura." Kaneda said, with the gang agreeing for a celebration. 

"But first let's get something to eat. I'm starving right now. And hospital food is disgusting." Nimura deadpan, and the other 4 shared a laugh out of that one.

When they stepped out to meet the rest of the gang, cheers of Nimura's release and slight recovery, they all were out of the cesspool. Sure the mess was still there but now...it was them who was gonna clean it up.

They have a long road ahead of them and Kaneda was gonna be the one to lead it, even if they were all going to step into the unknown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What an emotional yet sappy chapter huh? This is the last chapter for the precanon arc, and now it's time for the events of Akira to begin in chapter 7! I know everyone will wonder about Nimura's mental state in the 6 months that'll be passed in the next chapter. I am intending to make a second fic dedicated to Nimura's mental health status in between those 6 months. Then again that will also be seen in this story as well. Chapter 7 will be posted on Saturday. Feedback and Criticism is welcomed.


	7. Catalyst

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nimura and The Capsules are heading down to the Old city, to explore it further than when they came the last time 6 months ago to rescue him. As they all made it to the heart of where the bomb fell, an unsettling feeling grows in the burgundy haired teen, which Tetsuo stepped up to calm him down. But as they venture back, a sudden mishap puts all of them to a halt. What was the reasoning?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I had some trouble with personal stuff so chapter 7 got postponed until today. I would like to say that now we are starting the canon events of Akira, and starting from this chapter things will be a real, twisted, emotional roller coaster ride in this story. So fasten your seat belts because Neo-Tokyo is about to EXPLODE.
> 
> I DO NOT OWN AKIRA. ALL CHARACTERS AND MATERIALS ARE OWNED BY OTOMO KATSUHIRO  
> OCs BELONG TO ME.

The nighttime sky of Neo-Tokyo was a mixture of neon lights, pollution, and soaring skyscrapers. Something that the city is already used to. And that goes for a large group of teenage bikers. 

The rumbling and roaring of motorbikes were speeding down at the edge of Neo-Tokyo. A red, technologically advanced bike was leading the bikes, followed by a teal colored bike to the left, a glowing purple bike to the right. A red and plum purple bike with the rising sun on it behind the teal bike, and a green and red bike behind the neon purple bike. The 5 being the unique out of all the other bikes, but the red advanced one stood out as the alpha. The neon purple is the unique yet mysterious biker.

"The old city huh…? We're exploring that route this time Kaneda?" The biker asked, wearing only a pair of shades and no protective helmet.

"Hell yeah. I've always wanted to explore this part of the city...and just because it's off limits doesn't mean we can't bust in it. We didn't get that far the last we came in…" Kaneda trailed off, hoping that didn't spark any bad memories to his friend.

"Hmm...I'm down for it then." Nimura replied, focusing on the road. The new additions to his bike astonished him, even after Kai repaired it 6 months ago he still couldn't believe his bike had this phenomenal amount of upgrade. Although he still couldn't max out Kaneda's top speed.

The Capsule gang were speeding down the deserted highway, out of the lit tunnel dividing between the island megapolis and the original city. They were now driving at a matching speed. 

"Come on you slowpokes! Pick up the pace, we're speeding down highway 26, all the way towards the old city! Catch up with me...if you can." Kaneda announced, commenting out the last part smugly. Nimura could sense the smirk on Kaneda's face from his words. Cries of shout and brewing competition were heard from the rest of the gang. Nimura simply shook his head. 

"Lead the the way Kaneda, we're right behind you!" Kai shouted back at his leader and friend for confirmation. The bright lights of the city grew dimmer as they all went further into the dark desolate highway that was above the old city. 

As they drove deeper, they found an old abandoned post up ahead. They slowed down to find it blocking the other side of the highway. 

"Hey Kaneda...It's all blocked off." Tetsuo spoke up, as The Capsule leader and Nimura got off their bikes.

"So what? We can still break through it. What are you worried about Tetsuo?" Kaneda scoffed. Of course he would say that wouldn't he? Nimura decided to help Kaneda, Tetsuo and Yamagata break apart the post to create a makeshift ramp.

While Nimura wasn't interested in places that were abandoned, the idea of exploring the old city always intrigued him. He even read in textbooks about how the original Tokyo was once a city bursting with life. And unlike the crime ridden, corrupt and filthy city, Tokyo was much better in terms of quality, social norms and economics. It just shocked him at how such a benevolent and peaceful metropolis morphed into a dystopian and hedonistic city that he and the gang unfortunately call home. Or rather was moved to an artificial island instead of reconstructing the abandoned city. 

"It's ready! Let's move everyone!" Kaneda shouted, going back to his bike, along with the other 3. Nimura got on his bike as he saw Kaneda drove up the ramp to pass the rustic checkpoint.

"Tetsuo! Nimura! Let's show these guys how it's done!" He heard Kaneda shout.

"Right behind you, Kaneda." Tetsuo and Nimura replied back simultaneously, driving up the ramp. The ravenette went up the ramp first before speeding down, followed by Nimura who did the same. When he went back down from the ramp, he was followed by Kai. Nimura increased his speed to catch up with his childhood friends.

"Trouble with you is you take too many chances!" Tetsuo said as he looked at Kaneda.

"Trouble with you is you wanna live forever!" Kaneda shouted back, a bickering match beginning between the two friends. 

"Well touché…" Nimura trailed off, enough for Kaneda and Tetsuo to hear above the rumbling noise. Tetsuo gave the burgundy haired teen a deadpan look, while Kaneda gave him a knowing smirk before returning his eyes on the road. A teasing match began between Nimura and Tetsuo.

"You take alot of risks here Mura. The fact that you don't wear a helmet just says so." Tetsuo teased, smirking behind his helmet. Nimura scoffed at that revelation.

"That goes the same way for you when you only wear your goggles in the city. The rest of our gang as well. I prefer shades." Nimura quipped back, which earned a chuckle from Tetsuo, Kai, Yamagata and Takeyama. The two childhood friends continued their idle teasing match as they ransacked down the road. It ended when they saw Kaneda slowing down, raising his hand up in a signal to stop. It soon became a domino effect as Tetsuo stopped, followed by Nimura, Yamagata, Kai, Takeyama, Kuwata and the rest of the gang. Soon they all stopped amongst each other at the now broken off highway.

"Well guys…" Kaneda began as he took off his helmet, then his goggles pushed to his head. "It looks like we've reached the end of the line." He finished, voice becoming serious as he finished his sentence.

"This is where the heart of the destruction began. Where the damn nuke fell." Kaneda added in. The gang members talked between themselves, Nimura got off his bike and positioned his shades on his head. When he glanced to the heart of the destruction, the voices were hushed out. He felt an odd, uncomfortable sensation in the pit of his stomach. They were right where the heart of the destruction of Tokyo was at. The nuclear bomb that set off in the heart of the old capital. It rubbed him the wrong way, how so many people died that day, minding their own businesses as they lived their lives, until this bomb showed up and wiped off life like flicking over to a clean page. And then that page sparked off the events of World War III and the chaos that ensured afterwards. This is where Neo-Tokyo rose from the shadows, downgrading it's predecessor.

Nimura was feeling more unsettled as the wind started making haunting tunes in the ghostly, deserted area. A vile feeling. 

"Man to think that all those people died here in this blast…" Watanabe trailed off who was beside Yamagata. 

"Hey, maybe we stumbled upon a wrong turn back there. Let's head back and try again." Kenma spoke up, pointing his thumb back. Kaneda gave his comrade a sneer.

"What's the big hurry? Scared of the fucking dark?" Kaneda snarked, but immediately regretted saying that when he saw Nimura's face morph into a grimace. Remorse circled Kaneda's mind.

'Way to fucking go Shotaro for saying that...now Mura is feeling uncomfortable.' His consciousness mocked him, prompting Kaneda to close his eyes instead of rolling them at his mind. Before he could say anything, Kai cleared his throat.

"I heard they'll be new changes around this part of the old city soon. They said that this is where they want to hold the Neo-Tokyo Olympics next year." The mechanic member indicated, making Yamagata whip his head at him in shock.

"No...you're kidding right?" Yamagata was baffled to say the least from this development.

"That's what I heard too...if you don't believe me, ask Tetsuo." Jin pointed out.

"Huh...me?" The ravenette in question asked confused, jabbing a thumb at himself. He cleared his throat to clarify.

"Yeah it's the truth. They've already started working on construction. Old buildings and stuff are already being torn down." Tetsuo confirmed, until glancing at Nimura who took off to scout the area in the limited space.

Said burgundy haired teen was looking around the area, trying to find more interesting things. But as he scouted, a silent noise filled his ears. It was eerie. The air was getting tense and unsettling by the second as the desolate darkness spooked him to say the least. Why did he have this feeling? Why was it taunting him? Just-

A hand clasped his shoulder, startling Nimura. He looked to see that it was Tetsuo holding his shoulder, along with being given a concerned expression.

"Hey Nimura, are you ok? You looked real creeped out there and your hand is shaking." He said. Nimura blinked before looking down to see his hand indeed shaking. He clenched it and unclenched to relief the tension. Just what the hell was that about?

"Yeah I'm fine Tetsuo. Guess the eerie aura is getting to me." Nimura replied back, a lie in his part. Of course Tetsuo didn't believe him, but he wasn't gonna prod and question what was happening to Nimura at the moment, to not make it awkward. Kaneda and Yamagata saw the small tense moment the quiet teen had a moment ago, bewilderment and worry over that. Yamagata shifted closer to Kaneda.

"What the hell are we doing around this dump anyways?" Yamagata asked, clearly bored and in defense to Nimura, worried for his mental state. And it was like Kaneda understood where the taller teen was getting at.

"No reason." The Capsule leader replied. Yep they were definitely leaving this place after seeing what happened to Nimura. He mounted on his bike.

"Alright, we're out of here!" Kaneda shouted, which made Nimura look back to see the gang preparing to leave.

"We still haven't looked around the area. I still want to search around for more vague and intriguing stuff." Nimura objected to his childhood friend. Kaneda knew that Nimura, as quiet, unemotional and odd as he is, his friend likes to explore things that pique him. But this was different. It made Nimura feel eerie and unsettled. And he can see through the mask Nimura is holding.

"Listen I know you want to stay, but me and the gang aren't leaving without you. Besides, I saw what happened moments ago." Kaneda replied, his voice went low about how Nimura's right hand was shaking. Nimura was a little surprised. He noticed the undermining tone of desperate and urgency it held. But Nimura just nodded.

"Alright then." He replied, putting his shades back on and getting on his bike. He turned on the ignition and the neon light came to life, his bike glowing that the naked eye could see.

"Let's race to the Harukiya and get drinks and something to eat? Last one there has to pay the bill!" Kaneda declared, starting his bike. A cacophony of cheers, groans and protests were blaring around them. Nimura just scoffed. He won't be that last guy footing the bill. 

They all took, Nimura taking his usual position. He soon saw Tetsuo speeding up and going in the lead.

"Hey Tetsuo you clown! What do you think you're doing!?" Kaneda shouted beside Nimura, a tone full of playful gang banter.

"I'm taking the lead! Now you're following me Kaneda!" Tetsuo replied, looking back at him with a smug smirk. 

"No way!" Kaneda yelled back, returning the smirk. Nimura just looked at the two of them having a small bicker.

'These two will never change. I'm glad these two are my best friends.' Nimura thought, a feeling of content. However all that changed when he returned his focus on the road, it all of a sudden got tense. And that increased when he saw a figure up ahead…in the middle of the deserted highway...in Tetsuo's direction.

"OH SHIT! MOVE YOU FUCKING IDIOT! GANGWAY!" Tetsuo shouted, nervousness and urgency in his tone. The figure however didn't move, instead blinded by the lights of the motorbikes.

'He's not moving. He's not moving! Move! MOVE damn it!' Nimura was desperately saying in his thoughts. The tension increased tenfold when Tetsuo tried to swerve another direction but was futile. The figure held out it's hand, protecting themselves from the blinding light. Everything went in motion after that.

'No...no no no no no NO-' Nimura shouted in his mind, panicking as Tetsuo was swerving. It was all for naught as Tetsuo bike exploded right before his eyes. His body stilled, his heart stopped, and his breathing stopped. His childhood friend's bike exploded right before him and he didn't catch up in time to help.

"TETSUOOOOO!!!" Nimura and Kaneda screamed simultaneously, coming to an abrupt halt right near the blazing fire. Nimura regained his focus as he stopped. Getting off his bike without turning off the ignition. 

"Holy fuck fuck fuck fuck!" Kai shouted repeatedly, petrified of what just ensued.  
Nimura saw Tetsuo's bloody form and immediately ran to him. 

"YOU FUCKING BASTARD!!! WHY THE HELL WERE YOU IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD!?" Kaneda screamed, his helmet thrown to the floor, fury at his best friend's injury to the unknown figure.

Nimura lifted Tetsuo up carefully and held him under care. He saw all the oozing wounds and cuts he had. Blood was bleeding from his head and mouth profusely. Tetsuo was gritting his teeth from the extreme pain he was feeling over.

"Tetsuo, please say something...damn it please!" For the first time Nimura's tone was unfocused, desperate and wavering. He needed to help Tetsuo. He had to get him to a hospital! Tetsuo squirmed, his body and muscle tense, groaning in utter pain.

"Hey Tetsuo, can you hear us!?" Yamagata shouted, also frantic for his friend's condition as he touched the teen's shoulder. The injuries were horrifying, and Tetsuo was in and out of conscience. It made Nimura nauseous, frantic and scared. The burgundy haired teen was starting to shake again, his nerves panicking at the marred form of his childhood. The blood was now around his bike outfit. Wounds were reminding Nimura of him...when he was-

'No, don't think like that...this is different.' Nimura scolded himself, erasing his thoughts of that memory. Be placed his two fingers on Tetsuo's throat, applying pressure, and a beating yet faint pulse was there, much to Nimura's relief and worry. Kai, Yamagata, Kuwata, Takeyama, Watanabe and the rest of the gang were around the scene. Nimura glanced to Kaneda, but saw his figure was still. He didn't understand why or what made Kaneda not move and stare at the stranger, so when Nimura looked, his eyes widened at the peculiar sight. 

The figure was...a child...no...a child with prune, pale, wrinkled green skin that looked horribly bad. His condition was just very peculiar and unsettling. The child had the mixed features of a man and a child, and it was difficult to not stop looking at the child. It was a sight he couldn't take his raven eyes off of.

The child switched his terrified gaze from Kaneda to Nimura, then to Yamagata, Tetsuo, Kai, and the rest of the gang, before returning his gaze to Kaneda. Nimura watched, his eyes widened as he and Kaneda yelped as he saw the child vanishing into nothingness. Shock and paralyzation was revealed on Nimura's face. What the hell was that? How on earth did that...child just willingly disappears? Nimura's thoughts went on a endless frantic pace, doing calculations and molecular deconstruction on how that was scientifically possible. Kaneda looked back to his friends, to find Nimura looking at him just as surprised and flabbergasted as the Capsule leader. His thoughts were pushed aside as Yamagata shoved him back and forth. 

"Mura snap out of it! You're daydreaming at a bad fucking time! We need to get Tetsuo to the hospital!" Yamagata announced, tone filled with complete worry. Nimura just shook his head and continued to support Tetsuo's weight who was barely conscious, while Kaneda was heading back to them. Suddenly headlights appeared out of nowhere, and Nimura's stress level had increased.

"The military...what are they doing here?" Nimura mused out, seeing two military soldiers step out of the vehicle.

"No sir. There's no sign of it...just a bunch of teenagers here. There was some kind of accident." The soldier reported to his walkie talkie. 

Nimura heard the soldier say 'yes sir' before putting the device back in the vehicle. An aura of suspicion surrounded him. Just what the hell were they talking about just a moment ago beside the accident? For some reason he held Tetsuo a little more firm. Shosaku approached the 2 soldiers.

"Excuse me sir, but-"

"You guys shouldn't have come here. This is a restricted area." The soldier cut him off, a stern tone in his words as he stared at him.

"I-I know that...but um…" Shosaku couldn't properly finish his sentence as the soldier eyed him. With nothing to say the soldier called out to his comrade to pull out the area. 

"But sir-!" Shosaku called out this time, but the soldier interjected.

"An ambulance is on it's way. Sit tight, Just tell them what happened when they come." The soldier replied again, before he and his comrade took off. Nimura, Kaneda and the rest of the gang found it suspicious that the military didn't even bother to question them or help them with Tetsuo's injuries.

"But aren't you guys the...police?" Takeyama blurted out, uncertainty written on his face. 

This night was a cesspool of paranoia, suspicion and mystery.

~~KANEDA~~

The Capsule leader's mind was on edge, nothing was on the right focus since the accident. When the ambulance came and scooped up Tetsuo from Nimura's arms and told them what happened, they put his childhood friend in the medical van and drove off as fast as they could to get him to a nearby hospital.

He and the gang returned back to Neo-Tokyo, the atmosphere was blank, sour and uncomfortable. No one in the gang said a word to each other, until they parted and said their byes as they went to the dorm apartments. Now Kaneda stood alone with Nimura, on the roof of the dorms, glancing at the neon megapolis and beyond. An unsettling silence was brewing between them. 

Kaneda looked towards his childhood friend, only to see an uncertain and furrowed look on Nimura's face. There was still blood coating parts of his biker uniform. Nimura's white biker gloves, not a speck of white was left on the palm of his glove, all replaced with the vermilion substance. Seeing how still Nimura was, Kaneda approached him and patted him on the shoulder. The action only made Nimura move his eyes to his onyx ones.

"You saw him...didn't you?" Kaneda asked, pertaining to the subject of the disturbingly prune child. Nimura lips parted, before giving in.

"Yes. I did see him. What was that about, Neda?" Nimura asked, calling out his nickname he used. He wasn't able to think right now because of the whole shit that happened all at once. Kaneda wished he could give him a clear answer.

"I honestly want to know the same thing Mura. The same thing…" Kaneda trailed off, really wishing he could tell him something right now to ease the tension. He saw Nimura look back down at his bloodied gloves, an intense yet nervous stare. Even after 6 months of helping and some rather jump scares, Kaneda has and is still concerned for Nimura's mental health. He's been through hell that time, and he'd be damned if he let Nimura experience that again, the long scar on Nimura's head from the forehead to the fade of his hair said much. 

"Kaneda…" Nimura started, prompting the Capsule leader to look at Nimura's black eyes. And for the first time since childhood, Kaneda can decipher the emotions of worry, concern, and fright in Nimura's eyes and expression. "Will Tetsuo be alright? Will he come back to us?" The burgundy haired teen asked, looking very unsure. 

Kaneda sighed through his nose, sporting a calm, comforting look. "Yes, he will be fine. And he will come back to us. Tetsuo's gonna be out of there soon." Kaneda reassured him. Nimura simply nodded his head and put his bloodied glove on his neck, before clutching the neck piece of his bodysuit. He was clutching the rosary through his bodysuit.

"I hope so...I hope it all comes back to normal." Nimura replied, looking into the distance. And Kaneda couldn't help but agree.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Catalyst to the story. Hence why I named this chapter Catalyst. Things will start to unwind here and what will Nimura and The Capsules do on this journey of chaotic whirlwind. Chapter 8 will be posted on Tuesday. Feedback and Criticism is welcomed.


	8. No Regrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the traumatizing accident of their friend and comrade, Tetsuo, another hellish day has come. Nimura and the gang are interrogated by the principals and while almost all the Capsule members are not paying attention, it makes Nimura ignore everything until he is the only one told to stay in the office while the rest of the gang were sent for their physical punishment. What could this mean? 
> 
> And what else is occuring tonight away from The Capsules knowledge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Guys! I apologize for not posting this chapter yesterday like I said I would, I had to take care of a homework assigment for a certain class. But now I've posted this intriguing chapter. And this time we get to see Nimura delve into an emotion we've never seen before. I hope you enjoy the chapter.
> 
> I DO NOT OWN AKIRA. ALL CHARACTERS AND MATERIALS ARE OWNED BY OTOMO KATSUHIRO  
> OCS BELONG TO ME

The scenery wasn't normal when they were in school. It was full of angst, silence, and solemn. While the gang members greeted each other in their way in the morning, everyone was still on edge from the accident last night. Especially two people: Nimura and Kaneda. The duo could barely sleep last night after their childhood friend's critical injury with the collision of his motorbike and that mysterious, prune child-like individual. 

Nimura had a nightmare last night. A nightmare of Tetsuo having injuries worse than how he saw him last night, and he bled to death before the ambulance could arrive. That made Nimura jump from his bed, to only realize it wasn't real. Kaneda had a similar nightmare, where Tetsuo didn't make it to the hospital and couldn't make it in time. The paramedics couldn't save his best friend in time. It didn't help with the current situation for them nor the rest of the gang.

Now, dressed in a black long sleeve shirt, jeans, and black sneakers, Nimura and the gang were trudging through the slum hallways of the school as whispers and murmurs from other students gossiping about Nimura and the gang. News always spreads like fire in this god forsaken school, and while it's common, Nimura hates it when the shit talking involves him and his friends. It sends him on edge when the school finds out about an accident that occurs with one of his best friends and for people to say critical bullshit about it. Words of scrutiny, criticism, and other bullshit was all he heard with the gang. While Nimura could take criticism, he couldn't take criticism when it was directed at someone else close to him. Especially Kaneda and Tetsuo. And now...they were told they had to be in the principal's office.

The principal's office, unlike the rest of the rundown school, was polished with velvet and dark colors. Awards, books, carpeted, the room was eloquently designed to look fancy. And Nimura could conspire that the reason this school wasn't fully repaired or renovated, had to do with the corruption of the higher ups here in this school. The staff were self indulging bastards. 

The principal, who had glasses, a gray suit with a white collar shirt, orange tie and was bald in appearance with such a bored expression cleared his throat. He was. accompanied by the vice principal, who had a cold glare on his face, wearing glasses, a brown suit with black slacks followed by a beige trench coat.

"You young men are, of course...only fifteen years old, but can still be trialled in an adult court." The principal announces to them, hands folded on his desk. "If you are twice convicted of even minor offences, you are sent...because you have shown yourselves unwillingly - or unable to fit in with normal students in a normal environment…" He trailed off, letting his words of lecture and scrutiny hit the group, but The Capsules weren't affected by his statement.

'You men only care about filling your pockets and the like. What is the point of running a school that is falling behind in repairs and renovations? But will have no problem sending a minor to jail or an adult court.' Nimura conjurated in his thoughts, not paying attention to the so called lecture by the principal. While he had his head down and was listening in the lecture somewhat, he looked towards his friends and comrades beside him. Kaneda was disinterested, facing the wall above the principal not even caring about the lecture, Kai was yawning, rudeness evident in the fact he didn't give a shit about what the shady principal was saying. Yamagata had his eyes looking anywhere but the principal, bored and annoyed. Takeyama had his arms crossed and head casted down, Watanabe faced the other way, Kuwata scratched his neck and head was down. Yep, the gang were careless to the heads of the school.

"This place is the last chance your kind has!" The vice principal boomed, causing some of the gang to either groan in annoyance or be mad at being yelled by an old geezer. Nimura wasn't affected by it at all. Rather he was ignoring the rant coming out of the angry vice principal.

"ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME!?" This time the vice principal shrieked in fury, face red as the teenagers before him were bored, disinterested, and ignoring him.

"Nope, not me." Kaneda simply said, yawning.

"Eh I listened to half of it." Yamagata replied back, hands behind his head and avoiding the vice principal's raging glare. 

"I am!" Watanabe said with fake enthusiasm.

"Sort of." Takeyama replied, averting his gaze.

"No I didn't listen." Kuwata blurted out, looking up at the ceiling.

"I did...kinda…" Jin trailed off, hands in pocket.

"Nope sorry." Kenma remarked bitterly.

"Yeah I heard you." Shosaku said, bored and tired.

"I heard it but didn't get any of it…" Kai was the last to reply bluntly, fixing his tie. Nimura was the only one to not answer. Why would he answer when they wouldn't believe them anyway. The principals were hypocrites.

"You boys are SCUM. You'll always be scum." The vice principal growled, emphasizing his insult to the juvenile teens. Nimura raises his head a little, still not looking at the angry vice principal, but his right fist clenched subconsciously.The insult radicalized his views of the system that he and The Capsules lived in. Kaneda noticed his best friend's fist clenching. And while The Capsule leader wanted to help ease the confusing tension that his friend has, the principal cleared this throat to break the silence.

"Well then, if we can't get through to you, perhaps we should notify Mr. Takaba, the gym teacher." The principal concluded, cleaning his glasses.

"All of you head to the gym EXCEPT...Hasegawa Nimura." The vice principal declared. The burgundy haired teen glanced up, a mixture of shock, curiosity, and suspicion all visible on his face. Kaneda, Yamagata, Kai and the rest of the gang grew suspicious of why Nimura was being kept here.

"Why the hell Mura is being kept here? He was with us in the accident last night!" Kai asked, defending his burgundy haired friend and second in command. Yamagata added on saying something shady and seedy about that. Kaneda felt anger and anxiety pool around his stomach from the vice principal prolonging Nimura's stay here. He was about to unleash colorful phrases of expletives that would make religious sects gasp in horror, but the vice principal's growl snapped him out of his thoughts.

"This is none of your concern for you scums! NOW HEAD TO THE GYM!!!" The vice principal yelled for what felt like the 100th time. As much as the gang wanted to know why, Nimura simply waved his hand at the gang adding he'll be fine. The gang were heading to the gym to await whatever their punishment was, Kaneda being the last one out the door, reluctance hanging over his shoulder at leaving Nimura alone in the shitty office. 

Both the principal and vice principal were now staring at Nimura, a deafening silence making the atmosphere of the office unsettling. The principal broke the silence.

"Hasegawa-san...I simply cannot understand you're reasoning for hanging out with those juvenile delinquents that are underdeveloped in terms of social development compared to you." The principal said, a biased opinion in his words. What now?

"What?" Nimura questioned, unable to conjugate how this was said to him. Are they being serious right now? Nimura felt very uncomfortable. 

The principal looked into Nimura's raven black eyes. "You are a remarkable student of intelligence and extraordinary grades since you've attended here. Yet your choice of friends on the other hand is not fit for someone like you." He indicated. What the hell? These fools are out of their shriveled, forsaken minds. Are they trying to decide what's best for him?

"Your poor choice in friends is something that's hindering you right now. Here you are getting in trouble and reprimanded for something you were part of with those delinquents, something that could jeopardize your record here at the school." Now it was the vice principal that added in to the discussion. Nimura felt a small headache coming in, from not sleeping well last night, the stress of Tetsuo's condition, and now this load of shit these principals were saying. Such a waste of words.

Nimura looked up to both of them, a serious expression on his face. "I have known Kaneda and Tetsuo since childhood. Those two were my only friends for the majority of my life and they're like family to me. No...they are family to me. And that extends to the rest of my friends here. My decision to be with them shouldn't be criticized." Nimura answered back, gaze not faltering from the two older men's scrutinizing ones.

The principal sighed. "You don't realize how much of a bad influence they are to you. You're not taking any steps or precautions from exiting your way out of that group of troublemakers, which is a problem." As the principal said that, Nimura was staying docile on the outside, but was clearly irritated inside. 

'They aren't a bad influence to me. They aren't like those bastards who are numb with drugs and alcohol. Me, Kaneda, Tetsuo and the gang all have emotions and thoughts. They aren't bad. They are my friends.' Nimura thought with irritation, clearly unsettled with what was going on right now.

"One day, you are going to get screwed over by those scums because of your poor decision in who you consider your friends." The vice principal scolded, saying it was bad to be in their circle for a smart student like himself. "If I were you, I would begin to cut ties with all of them as soon as possible." The older male continued. The air plunged several degrees below, and what came next was the expression that shocked and numbed both principals, shaken by the resentful aura. Nimura didn't know what kind of expression he had on his face, but it was putting the principals on edge. And for once in his life, Nimura didn't care.

"How dare you two put in your interests in what's for me and what's not for me? Just because I have high grades and am intelligent doesn't mean that I should be dictated in my decisions. I decide who should be my friends. I decide how I want to live my life. I decide what's best for me. As a teenager who's growing up to be an adult, I have a right to make those decisions." Nimura said coldly, not caring who was in charge here and who had the say so. He didn't let the principals reply as he continued.

"I have grown up my entire life surrounded by two friends who were there when no one else was. Who were there when I had gone through my suffering. Who were there to be by my side like brothers. I have a vague memory of what my parents looked like. Sure they probably wouldn't want me to live this life, but I'm not within their clutches anymore since I have no idea where they went or what happened to them. In that case, I decide what is best for me. And if this changes your views of me, I couldn't care less." Nimura finished. He sighed through his nose before heading to the door. As he opened it, the vice principal muttered something belittling.

"You're going to regret making your decision, Hasegawa-san." The vice principal pointed out, glaring at the burgundy haired teen. Nimura faced him head on.

"I don't regret my decision. And I don't regret anything in my life. And I especially don't regret meeting Kaneda, Tetsuo, Yamagata, Kai, and the rest of my friends." He answered back, not waiting for a response as he shut the door.

He walked down the deserted hallway, making a beeline for the staircase. No way in his entire life did both the principal and vice principal tell him he needed to change his life to the way they wanted it to be. That was like asking to be friends with a clown member. Disgusting. 

They were only telling him out of their selfish mindsets and desires. They didn't care for Nimura's well being or mental fortitude. In fact that whole week he was out, they didn't even bother to care of his physical condition or how he was feeling. Instead they recommended him counseling with Mr. Takaba, something he declined internally.

Nimura had begun walking down the stairs when he heard a cacophony of shouts, yelling, and cursing 2 floors down.

"WATCH YOURSELF, JAWFACE!!! YOU'RE GONNA FUCKING GET YOURS!!!"

"SCUMBAG!!!"

"WE WON'T FORGET THIS JAWS!!!"

"YA SICK MOTHERFUCKER!!!"

"GO TO HELL!!!"

"YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR THAT JAWFACE!!!"

Yep. Those are his friends. 'I think Tetsuo is the king of expletives when it comes to insulting someone.' Nimura thought in amusement before quickly heading down the stairs.

He made it down to see them in front. He made his way forwards until he tapped Kai on the shoulder. Said teen looked back startled, only to become amused that it was Nimura.

"Oh shit Mura! Heh you're back." Kai shouted, causing the entire gang to look at the burgundy haired teen. They cheered as Nimura, the only unharmed male, was back in the premises. 

"So, mind telling us what happened up there with those two old geezers?" Kaneda asked, looking at Nimura. The burgundy haired teen casted his gaze down, his bangs covering his eyes. He sighed through his nose. 

"They wanted me to change my life around and the like. I instantly declined and told them off. I just honestly want to leave this poor excuse of a school and find Tetsuo." Nimura said, facing forward.

"Hmm an angry Nimura. Now that I gotta see." Kai chimed in, slightly surprised that the dandere teen shows something he's not used to seeing on his friend.

"Man, I should've been there to see that. It would of been comedy." Yamagata blurted out in annoyance, rubbing his bruise from his cheek and spitting out a tiny bit of blood. Kaneda shook his head before patting Nimura's shoulder.

"Don't let it get to you. I know this fucked up school does shit to their own needs." Kaneda says before leading the gang with Nimura beside him. As they passed the littered hallway, Kaneda cleared his throat.

"Everyone, 9pm at the Harukiya tonight. We need to take care of business." Kaneda declared, before separating from the pack.

"Don't forget, we have to look for Tetsuo." Nimura called back to him. Kaneda turned around and gave his friend a thumb's up.

"I'm gonna do my own search after I leave the school. You go ahead and give out the commands while I'm gone." Kaneda said before heading down to where the nurse's office is at.

Nimura deadpanned. 'Really Kaneda? You're gonna see her…?' Nimura shook his head with disdain before taking charge.

"Alright guys, we have to search around this crumbling city for Tetsuo. Search every hospital and clinic out there, as well as asking his estranged mother of his whereabouts." Nimura ordered. The thought of Tetsuo's mother exasperated Nimura. After all those years she left him behind, she finally wanted to show up in his life when Tetsuo could make his own decisions. What a drag.

"Got it! We'll be back before 9!" Kai replied, and the gang dispersed into their own parties. As Nimura went down his own path in the courtyard, he saw a familiar figure approach him. Eyes widened slightly at who it was.

"Nimura…" Kaori called out, in front of the burgundy haired teen. Her eyes seemed watery and she was dressed in a white loose sleeveless shirt, red shorts patterned with brown, yellow, and red, knee high socks and red shoes.

"Kaori...come here." He said, gesturing a hug to help comfort her from the emotional pain she was going through. Said girl went up and hugged her burgundy haired friend, letting tears lose from her eyes. When Nimura reluctantly told Kaori that Tetsuo had an accident and was being hospitalized, her entire being was full of dread, heartache, and slight panic. The boy she's in love with was hurt, and in turn that hurted her emotionally. It also made Nimura feel a pang in his chest when Kaori was distraught and crying.

Tetsuo had told Kaori last night he would be back and head to her dorm, to be with her and to spend time with her. Of course Nimura wouldn't say that when he finds Tetsuo because the latter will go off in embarrassment about this love life. But now this, Kaori didn't know what to do.

"Will I see him again? Will you guys find him?" Kaori said weakly, sniffling as they both stood hugging for 2 minutes. Nimura nodded.

"Yes we are...no...we will find him Kaori. We will find Tetsuo." Nimura replied, and Kaori was dazed before a small smile formed on her face. 

Nimura prefers to see her happy. He prefers to see his sister like figure to be happy, and for Tetsuo to make her happy. 

~~???~~

6:30 pm

In the downtown dense districts of Neo-Tokyo, a woman, wearing a brown trench coat, red scarf, a black skirt and black heel boots, looking between the ages of 16-18 was 'window shopping'. She had unfortunately been doing this for quite some time now to act as a normal woman in this society. In reality it was a cover up.

Soon a man with a jacket and cap approached her, standing beside her to make it subtle and discreet to the pedestrians.

"Where are you meeting Ryu tonight?" The shady man asked her, startling her slightly as she faced him.

"Tonight at 9 at the Harukiya bar. It's off the Eastern Express Highway in the seventeenth district." She responded, very low for only the two of them to hear. As much as the idea of meeting at a bar that was occupied by seedy and dangerous individuals, it was the only place her and the mysterious Ryu could contact at the moment. With everyone that's been going on, it has been hard to keep tabs on society.

"Kei...will our other contact show up too?" The guy asked carefully.

Silence was what shared between the two of them aside from the colliding urban noise around them. A reassured expression was plastered on her face as Kei turned to him.

"Yes...I'm hoping he could make it tonight."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to end it there since next chapter will be a whirlwind of action and angst together. But who would expect Nimura to go off on the principals and leave like a savage. Even dandere's have emotions yet they can't see it. Chapter 9 will be posted on Saturday. Feedback and Criticism is welcomed.


	9. Double Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the search for Tetsuo ends in a cliffhanger of chaos, two mysterious strangers end up in the same bar as The Capsules. And as it unfolds when it leads to a wild goose chase towards the duo, Nimura gets another encounter with a familiar yet peculiar figure from last night, while at the same time spotting the girl. But when Kaneda, Yamagata and Kai find Nimura and the shriveled child and plan on getting payback for what the child did, a vile atmosphere grows, and it reeks of unknown terror. Where does Nimura fall in this?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. I apologize for the late chapter post at this time but I had been editing other fanfics I have on here from different fandoms. But here's to chapter 9 and it is a tornado of angst and chaos. Enjoy!
> 
> I DO NOT OWN AKIRA. ALL CHARACTERS AND MATERIALS ARE OWNED BY OTOMO KATSUHIRO  
> OCs BELONG TO ME

If there was one word to describe Nimura's day right now, it's CHAOTIC.  
He searched every part of Neo-Tokyo. Every medical facility and clinic that he found and none of them had Tetsuo Shima readmitted. After hearing 'no' and 'we have no Shima Tetsuo' in the medical facilities it made Nimura's stress and anxiety increase to the point he needed to take a breather and help himself.

It was nerve wracking and frightening. His childhood friend was not only taken away but missing. It put every part of his muscles, fiber, and limbs into pure tension. His mind couldn't focus, couldn't think, as his brain was attacked by his own thoughts of distraught and panic as he desperately wanted to find Tetsuo and check on his well being and at least see his childhood friend. But he was nowhere to be found...absolutely nowhere. And that gnawed Nimura's guts. It raised heavy suspicions.

Now Nimura, dressed in a grey shirt, black jean jacket, black pants, and black boots, goes down the steps to the Harukiya bar. He made no effort to style his undercut hairstyle as it wasn't the good mood for it tonight. When he stepped inside, he only saw the bartender and an older male smoking a cigarette facing forward. Once again, he was the earliest Capsule member there. Sighing, he went to the bar counter and sat on a stool.

"Hey there. What will it be?" The bartender asked, knowing that Nimura has a thing to get stuff like soda. But right now, it wasn't the time for that as the burgundy haired teen was in no mood to drink soda or liquor. He needed something refreshing

"All I really want right now...is water." Nimura replied, not in the mood to talk or have idle chat. One of his best friends was missing at the moment and it did nothing but mock and taunt him, it only made his head pound and hands shake slightly. Water was helpful for him at the moment, he wants to make the tension headache he had for an hour already to go away. Nothing was going right for Nimura. 

The bartender grunted, before filling up the glass with water and handing it to Nimura. He drank some of it, hoping the cool liquid could put him at ease. If he was being honest, he would pop a capsule right now if he had anymore in his stash.

The door swung open, and out came Yamagata, Kai, and Shosaku. Nimura waved over to them and that made the trio walk over to him. Yamagata wasn't wearing his biker outfit. He was clad in a light blue jacket, black shirt and beige pants. Kai looked the most professional out of the trio, wearing a beige jacket, a white button down shirt with a red tie, khakis and dress shoes. Shosaku had a black jacket, red shirt and black jeans with red sneakers. Nimura is hoping that they could at least provide some type of intel on Tetsuo's whereabouts and well being. His gut told him otherwise, even though he tried to ignore it.

"Shit Mura, you look a little pale. Are you alright?" Yamagata asked, his eyes displaying care and warmth. It was a rare trait from Yamagata considering his brash and loud persona. In fact the three of them were concerned at Nimura's expression. Nimura nodded his head and simply cleared his throat.

"Yes I'm fine. Just has become really hectic today. Yama, Kai, Shosaku...did you find anything regarding Tetsuo's location?" Nimura asked, brushing off the question of concern about his own appearance. He doesn't want to focus on himself right now due to the shithole they were all in.

The frowns of the trio's faces however heightened Nimura's nerves. The water wasn't helping him relax now. 

"I searched everywhere for Tetsuo. But I couldn't find Tetsuo anywhere. None of the damn fucking hospitals have him there either. You can ask Shosaku he was with me." Yamagata responded, disdain evident on his features. That did not help the burgundy teen at all.

"I checked everywhere too. I went to the police, and even his mother's place and she doesn't even know where's Tetsuo." Kai said with a frustrated expression, but saying Tetsuo's mother with undermining disdain. Nimura felt nauseous, his headache pounding more with each rapid heartbeat. It was frustrating and frantic. Just what the fuck is happening? Where is Tetsuo? Why the hell can't he or the gang be able to find him? Questions of all kinds hammered Nimura's mind, and the more his mind asked, the more nervous he grew. His hands were beginning to shake.

He realized his hands were shaking, and in an instant he clenched his fists, stopping them from shaking and trembling to keep himself composed and calm.

'Come on Nimura. Come on...you have to keep calm and composed. You're the smartest one here, Kaneda made you second in command for a reason. You have to lead by example.' Nimura argued in his conscience, ceasing a battle within his mind.

"-It's odd that Tetsuo isn't in any of the hospitals in this damn city." Nimura heard, he glanced to see it was Takeyama who said that. He had been spaced out for the past 5 minutes that more members of gang had shown up. Except a couple of them and a certain childhood friend and leader. The only one who wouldn't be showing up is Tetsuo...

Between the gang, it had all been about Tetsuo's mysterious disappearance. And they were filled with dread and solemn. The tension in the air surrounding The Harukiya was downright heart pounding. The air felt constricting to breath in Nimura's lungs. The tension headache still remained. The door swung open, causing the burgundy haired teen to tense up and whip his head, only to see Kaneda enter the bar in a navy blue jacket, black shirt, black pants, and boots.

Why did he tense up when his childhood friend opened the door? Was there something in the air he was missing? Was it because his mind had been so stressed out and paranoid at the moment? The disappearance of his best friend had him at the edge of the cliff? What the fuck was wrong with him?

He shook his head and looked towards Kaneda approaching him and the gang. Nimura however didn't miss the suspicious gaze of the man with the cigarette in the table to the far left, which made Nimura narrow his eyes.

"You're early." Kaneda said out loud, going to the empty stool between Nimura and Yamagata.

"What? Did you walk? They took your bike?" Yamagata quipped back. Kaneda sat between his two friends and ordered a coke.

"Hey Kaneda, you'd bring any?" Yamagata asked in a hushed tone, only so that he and the gang could hear.

"Sure did." Was the Leader's reply as he handed out several capsule pills onto the table.

"Where's Kuwata, Jin, and Kenma?" Kaneda asked, seeing that there were still missing members from the gang.

"We're not sure, I guess they're either late, forgot, or went somewhere else." Nimura said, the only answer he could think of. The present members of The Capsules began to pop and gulp down on the goodies they have. Nimura swallows his pill, hoping it could at least give him some type of energy.

"By the guys, have you found out anything about Tetsuo? I tried finding him but…" Kaneda trailed off, and the burgundy haired teen didn't miss the mellow tone in his words.

"Me too. No luck. Not a single fucking hospital has Tetsuo in it." Yamagata replied, stress visible on his face.

"I think something weird is going on, hear me out." Kai pointed out, before leaning over the counter to look at Kaneda. "Like I told Mura, I asked the police, and even Tetsuo's mother. None of them could give me an answer to where Tetsuo is." He continued.

"No one knows where they took him." Takeyama added in. And he wasn't sure if the rest of the gang could feel Kaneda's melancholic aura, but Nimura certainly felt it. And he knows Kaneda doesn't like to show emotions such as sadness. He's hiding it for sure.

"Ya know, I thought it was pretty strange how the police let us off easily." Kai blurted out.

"They are doing something illegitimate. It's always under the table with the system and how they manipulate it with their hands. I knew something was up the moment the military was there last night." Nimura explained his opinion, glancing elsewhere until it landed on the guy smoking the cigarette. Kai and the gang caught his line of sight until they grew suspicious of the guest. The guy simply took his eyes away from them. At least that's what Nimura thought.

"Hey! Who's that guy!?" Kai demanded from the bartender.

"Why? You think he's your type?" The bartender asked back with a mischievous expression. That made Kai sputter in shock and anger.

"BLOW IT OUT YOUR ASS!!!" Kai shouted, his voice echoing the whole bar. Nimura chuckled at that remark. At least that had made him feel content in the sense even if they were going through a very big situation. It was cut short when the Harukiya door was slammed shut, vibrating the walls. Nimura tensed up and whipped his head to see a woman who was a little older than him and the gang, with short black hair and tan skin, in a brown trench coat, red scarf, and black boots.

"Ooh Baby…"

"Mmmm-hmmmm!"

"Mama…"

"Damn…"

"Hurt me…"

The gang were in awe, and chatted like schoolgirls about the attractive woman that stepped into the bar. Except Nimura who was the only composed one here and deadpanned at his comrades exclamation and whistling at the girl. While she was attractive, and his type, relationships were not a thing he focused on right now. Said woman gave a brief glance around the bar, towards Nimura and the gang, and then towards the mysterious guy at the table. Nimura didn't miss the brief glance she gave him before she sat down. Unfortunately to his luck, he was by the edge and while the voices were subtle, Nimura heard their conversation.

"Have they found him yet?" The guy asked, putting out his cigarette in the ashtray.

"No, I don't think so." Was the girl's response. Their conversation added an aura of shadiness. They wanted to keep themselves concealed and secret from the rest of the bar considering how low they were speaking. Nimura felt a hand clasp his shoulder, making the burgundy haired teen glance to his left. He saw Kaneda with a casanova smirk on his face. And Nimura deadpanned at what his best friend was thinking.

"Watch this Mura. It's time for the girls to start looking at the younger generation." He mused, taking one last sip of his coke before standing up and heading towards there.

"Um Kaneda you shouldn't…" Nimura trailed off, uncertainty laced in his tone. 

"Hey Kaneda Don't!" Kai pleaded, along with the other Capsule members. 

"Relax I got this, quit worrying." Kaneda waved them off, his eyes zeroing in on the girl as he was approaching the table.

"There are more police patrolling the city now. And also, our other contact right is-" The woman was cut off as the guy saw Kaneda coming and shushed her from leaking out confidential information. And on cue, Kaneda leaned his elbow onto the table, surprising the two guests with his smug entrance.

"Why waste your time on the older generation? I want to talk to you." Kaneda tries to woo her in, talking in a charming tone 

'Oh no…' Nimura facepalms, practically done with Kaneda's playboy antics as he tries to charm the woman on the table, interrupting their conversation. Who's to say they aren't a couple? Nimura felt the air get tense again.

"Let's get out of here." Nimura heard the guy say, ignoring The Capsule leader's presence. The woman agreed to her comrade's declaration.

"Hey wait a minute, I'm talking to her." Kaneda clarified, glaring at the man. And Nimura saw in a split second, the guy moved his hand forward, knocking down Kaneda's elbow and losing his balance on the table, banging on his head. The duo left the table running. Nimura and the gang bolt as they help Kaneda before being hot on the couple's trail. Kai was behind the guy as he was ready to tackle him. But the guy turned around with his leg raised.

"YOU PUNKS!!!" He screamed as he kicked Kai in the face causing him to fall, and like a domino effect, they all fell and dog piled down the stairs. Nimura however dodged the falling comrades as he made his way up the stairs and began chasing them. He could handle himself in the meantime. He just hopes that the gang could catch up to him.

~~KANEDA~~

Kaneda had gotten up as the gang were untangling themselves from the fall. Kaneda's mind was filled with fury as those two did that to him. He knew Nimura was the one who avoided the falling bodies and went up to chase after them. He began sprinting with the gang.

"We don't take that from anybody!" Kaneda shouted angrily, fists clenched and teeth gritting. His day was already stepped in sewage shit, and now to add more shit exasperated The Capsule leader. He continued to run with Kai and Yamagata while the gang split up to get the couple and find Nimura.

He stopped, complete confusion written on his face in the street. "The hell…? Where could they have gone? I know they couldn't have gone far…" The moment Kaneda trailed off, the thought of Nimura running far to catch them made his hair rise. Anxiety hit the teen as his thoughts were scrambling. 

"Nimura you better be fucking alright. I lost Tetsuo...can't afford to lose you too man!" Kaneda blurted out, running through the streets and alleyways to find his childhood friend and the two strangers.

~~NIMURA~~

Can his day get any worse? First last night with Tetsuo's severe injuries and the aftermath, then the scolding and manipulation by the principals, and now this? His headache continued to pound his head as he ran down the alleyway. When he made it out the narrow space, he saw the girl hid right behind the shade. He was going to approach her...had he not saw a familiar, prune, peculiar and wrinkled child with white hair who was watching a TV on display showcasing rockets and space.

His eyes widen at the familiar sight. The girl had popped her head out from her hiding spot to look at the bizarre figure.

"Number 26." She whispered, her expression was akin to that of pride and accomplishment. But quickly turned her head to see Nimura looking at her, leading to a brief staring contest. By then the child had noticed Nimura and his expression was a mixture of hesitance, shock and confusion all in one.

"HEY I'VE FOUND HIM!!! THE BASTARD IS RUNNING!!!" A yell snapped both the girl and him out of the trance. She hid back in her hiding spot while Nimura glanced back at the frail and prune child who was just staring at him. Glass shattered in the alleyway and out came Yamagata, shouting out colorful curses and expletives as his hand was cut with the broken glass of bottles.

"Ugh my hands bleeding...fucking shit hurts." Yamagata swore, clutching his bleeding hand. Few running footsteps were heard running to Yamagata.

"Shit Yama are you ok?" Kaneda shouted out, out of breath and concerned, with Kai making a offhand comment about Yamagata's bleeding hand and squeamish at the sight. Kaneda saw Nimura still, his eyes staring intensely at...the same odd, weird child that nearly killed Tetsuo. The child glanced towards Kaneda's gaze.

"Well well, look what we have here!" The Capsule leader piped up. Nimura snapped out of his stare yet again as he saw Kaneda walking up to the prune child with clear and present fury. He walked beside him. "That explains why you stopped looking for those two." He said to Nimura. Both Yamagata and Kai were bewildered as Kaneda and Nimura were now staring at the frightened child. The air around them felt vile and nerve wrecking.

"Because of you...Tetsuo--you know who he is right? He's one of our best riders!" Kaneda declared to the confused child who just stared back at Kaneda with fearful eyes. Nimura felt very queasy, and nervous for both Kaneda and the child, knowing that his childhood friend will avenge someone for hurting his friends and comrade. Nimura knew him very well for that and had seen Kaneda on multiple occasions in the past get payback at someone for hurting his gang. But on a child…? Was this right?

"Anyway, because of you, Tetsuo's in the hospital. He's my friend. He's our friend, so I owe you for what you did to him. And I'm gonna pay you back for it." Kaneda states with an aggressive tone. Nimura on the other hand was contemplating really hard on this situation. He should feel just as infuriated and bitter as Kaneda right now for the child being the reason that Tetsuo's in the hospital right? He should, but he wasn't. Instead he felt odd, unsettled, and in a bubble of hesitance. He was stuck in thinking what to really say or do. Plus there was something bizarre and out of place with this child. And it wasn't just because of his appearance…

"Hey Kaneda you know this guy? What's going on?" Yamagata asked, clearly baffled at this whole mess.

"Yeah. Since last night." Kaneda replied back. At the hearing of last night, both Yamagata and Kai's expressions turned serious.

"This jerk was in the middle of the road, and Tetsuo got hurt because he was trying to avoid him." Kaneda added in. 

"WHAT!?" Both teens shouted in shock and anger. Oh Nimura was feeling the enraged auras of not just Kaneda, but Yamagata and Kai as well. He didn't want this to escalate further, nor there to be any violence in public, much less on a child. Nimura's thoughts were all over the place and it didn't help his nerves or headache at all.

The 3 gang members were now taunting the poor shriveled and scared child as Yamagata and Kai were told the story behind Tetsuo's accident. The air felt terrible again. A grotesque, tar like feeling pooled with Nimura's body. And it was between Kaneda's, Yamagata's, and Kai's dark looks towards the child...and something else...something more horrifying as his gut instincts is giving him goosebumps from the unknown.

"What do you guys wanna do with him?" Kaneda called out between the 4 of them. Nimura was frozen to the spot, spacing out in thought. Yamagata and Kai smirked at the terrified child. It was the shorter teen who made a suggestion. One that would be a bad decision.

"Let's kick his ass!" Kai blared, cracking his knuckles. The teens agreed to it. The air got heavier.

"Hey Mura, what are you standing-"

"You guys-!" Nimura saw the child's face morph into a sour expression. As the 3 were puzzled at Nimura's shock expression, it happened in slow motion. The window of the store began to crack and shatter and before he knew it, Nimura jumped in and dragged the trio from danger as the glass shards shot outwards. Nimura braced himself as very tiny shards scattered across his forearms while the trio called out to the burgundy haired teen in shock and horror. The urge to protect his friends from danger was all that mattered to him. He failed to protect Tetsuo, he couldn't see those 3 in harm's way, especially Kaneda.

When the terror was over, Nimura uncovered his eyes to see the child shocked at Nimura's enduring of the attack and appearance. Nimura began pulling out the few tiny shards that were on his forearms, seeing the child disappear into nothingness again.

"What the fuck!? Mura you're crazy! Are you alright!?" Kaneda asked, completely flabbergasted at the events that happened before him, unable to comprehend these events all at once, instead checking on his friend's condition.

"Yes...I'm fine...sort of." Nimura said, dusting himself off from any remaining shards. Yamagata and Kai approached him, then noticed the man child was nowhere to be seen. 

"Huh? Hey where'd he go!?" Kai asked frantically, not doing well with what just happened. The air still felt tense, rather it grew higher than before.

"RUUUNNN!!!" The girl who was in her hiding spot, blared out at the awestruck teenagers.

"That girl again…" Kaneda trailed off with astonishment. Nimura followed the girl's line of sight, and he paled, eyes widening. A water tower was falling right on top of them.

"GUYS LOOK OUT!!!" Nimura shouted, causing the remaining 3 to look above and cry out in panic. They all began to run but the water tower made a powerful and exploding impact, knocking them off the ground. Each impact to the ground made Nimura's small cuts throb on the rugged concrete. Everything was throbbing him now. He stood in the ground, emotionally paralyzed from the impact until Kaneda had picked him up and helped him stand upright. He saw Kaneda move his lips but he couldn't hear him due to the noise boggling his ears.

"-Ura are you alright!? Can you hear me damn it!?" Kaneda yelled, panic evident in his eyes and face as he was grabbing Nimura's shoulder. Said teen shook his head and looked at Kaneda now that he gained his hearing back.

"Yeah…I'm a little fine...my cuts are throbbing though." Nimura let out, sighing as he endured the throbbing pain and muscles. 

"Fire! Someone call the fire department quickly!" A random civilian called out, and as the bystanders and the capsules stood in shock at the destruction before them, Nimura stood beside Kaneda, who had Nimura sling his arm around his neck for support. Nimura glanced at the girl who they were once chasing. They both stared at each other, the chaos unfolding further until Nimura was pulled gently away by Kaneda.

And yet, deep in the city, a helicopter was receiving a report of a fire that was mysteriously caused by some unknown force...the unknown unraveling further.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah angst at it's finest. And Nimura jumping in to save his friends since he regrets not being able to save Tetsuo in time. What do you think? Chapter 10 will be posted on Tuesday. And it's going to be one hell of a ride >:)
> 
> Feedback and Criticism is welcomed


	10. Keeping It Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The finding of Tetsuo was futile for The Capsules as they searched Neo-Tokyo like searching for a needle in a haystack, and it put Nimura and Kaneda on edge especially. But an encounter with a mysterious man and mysterious woman has left a wild chase into the streets and another encounter of the prune skin child that lead to a near death outcome.
> 
> Now, in the alleyway, what will the 4 angsty teens do in this new set of chaos? And who else is currently in the area that lead to more trouble?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Guys! I sincerely apologize for being a day late, unfortunately my phone died and I couldn't be able to post this chapter last night. But ta-da! Chapter 10 is here. 
> 
> Before that, I want to clarify something here for this chapter. When writing it of course it is in different point of views. Even though the characters Ryu, Kei, and Takashi have been introduced and their names known to the audience, characters like Nimura and Kaneda in their point of views don't know them yet and are rather going by their features, and Nimura goes by seeing the child as Number 26 for a brief time as Kei had called him last chapter when he was present. But I hope you enjoy this angsty chapter!
> 
> I DO NOT OWN AKIRA. ALL CHARACTERS AND MATERIALS ARE OWNED BY OTOMO KATSUHIRO  
> OCS BELONG TO ME

~~???~~

"Fire at nine o'clock! It's in the seventeenth district!" A pilot radioed in on the helicopter.

"EMERGENCY SITUATION! THIS IS AN EMERGENCY!!!" Another pilot declared over the radio. 

"This is STF 14. We've spotted a fire burning in the seventeenth district. The cause could of been an explosion. We're going to take a look." The pilot added in from the radio yet again as the aircraft headed towards the direction of where the raging fire was located.

"An explosion!?" A figure called out in the driver's seat within the sleek black car on the road.

"In the seventeenth district? What do you think?"

"Our patrols are on the way there. We'll have the details soon enough." The agent on the driver's seat replied. The man in the passenger's seat sighed as he turned to the man behind him.

"Do you think Number 26 was behind this?" The male asked. There was a calm grunt that came from the man behind.

"It's been over thirty hours since he escaped. He'll soon be at critical." The shadowy man said, whose appearance was a stern and emotionless expression, a hairstyle that is between a buzzcut and mohawk, and is wearing a beige suit, white under shirt and red tie. His looks radiated power and control.

~~KANEDA~~

In the alleyway alongside his comrades he was subtly looking at the chaos before him, with more military soldiers patrolling the area. Now that confused him. Why were there military soldiers in the area instead of the police? Something wasn't adding up. 

He then glanced at Kai and Yamagata who were recovering from the catastrophe, with some minor scrapes and bruises, and a few parts of their and clothes had grime and were ripped. He then he looked towards Nimura beside him. His black jacket was off which showcased his gray shirt, but when Kaneda looked towards Nimura's forearms, the gray sleeves had tiny splotches of blood scattered from the cuts due to the glass shards. It made Kaneda's guts pang with guilt and remorse. Seeing Nimura injured, regardless how small they are or how much he can endure, he doesn't want to see his best friend getting hurt. Tetsuo was already injured and that hurt him completely, he couldn't afford Nimura to get injured too.

"Hey why are we hiding back here?" Yamagata asked in a mixture of a whine and groan. 

"Stupid! You know what will happen if we get busted so soon after last night!?" Kai shouted to the taller boy.

"If we say we didn't do anything and it wasn't our fault, no one would believe us." Nimura added in, sighing with disdain. 

"Man, being a J.D is a real fucking pain in the ass." Yamagata said with irritation. Kai stood up in a sitting position.

"So what's the story with the little weirdo?" Kai then points his finger up as if he was going to make a statement, turning to Kaneda. "What do you think Kaneda? Did he really destroy the window and water tower?" 

"How should I know?" Kaneda sighed, his side faced towards them while looking out the alleyway.

"The water tower too!?" Yamagata asked with shock.

After Kai asked if it was a coincidence of those two accidents, Nimura looked at Kai.

"I don't think it was a coincidence. I think he did cause both the window and water tower to fall. The window was the catalyst to the bigger threat, which was the water tower. I know it doesn't sound logical, but there's no other way that it was coincidental." Nimura shared his thoughts to his friends. Kaneds glanced at him now that he said that.

"Is it a hunch you have Mura?" Kaneda asked. The Capsule leader has always been aware of Nimura's intuition and instincts. So whenever Nimura would have a hunch on something, it would lead to something bigger.

"Yes...I have that feeling. It's anything but coincidental." Nimura concluded. Kaneda looked to the wall in front of him. His gaze thoughtful, trying to find ways in order to figure out the situation somehow. There has to be a way-

"Wait a minute...that girl! I bet she knows about this!" Kaneda declares with a determined glint in his eyes, one that Nimura is all too familiar with. And just as the burgundy haired teen thought that, Kaneda started to run out the alleyway, to Yamagata and Kai's surprise.

"You guys wait here!" He stated, leaving the two other teens to call him back and not to go out there in worry. He still continued to run out to the sidewalk.

~~NIMURA~~

'If Kaneda thinks he's going to do this alone, he needs to think again.' Nimura said in his thoughts, before getting off the wall and began running while sliding on his jacket.

"Hey Nimura not you too! Where are you going!?" Yamagata asked, astonishment and alarm all over his face.

"I'm going with Kaneda. You guys stay here and be safe." Nimura replied, not waiting for a response as he ran out the alleyway and out on the sidewalk. He loomed around until he saw a navy blue jacket running in the distance. And that was all he needed to catch up to his leader and childhood friend.

He was not going to let Kaneda get himself into trouble, or worse. The last thing he needed was his best friend getting injured and end up sharing the same fate as Tetsuo.

~~RYU~~

The older man had been running on the loose for a while now, to shake those punks off his tail. He continued to run straight, and would have done that for a while if he had not heard a panicked shout...the shout of a child behind the crates which startled him and made him stop running and look to where it came from.

Huffing and puffing, Ryu was aware that he wasn't alone. He was aware that the child was here. The one thing he and Kei were looking for.

He knew that he had to get the child out of here in order to complete the mission.

~~NIMURA~~

The streets were crowded with innocent bystanders, mixed with confusion, suspicion, worry, and frustration. But they were the least of his concerns at the moment. All that mattered was that he kept his eye on Kaneda and follow him to where his destination would take him. 

Nimura noticed the large amount of military presence here instead of the police. Like Kaneda said back in the alleyway, he had to admit something indeed was going on.

"What is the need for so many soldiers from the military here when it was only a fire? I'm starting to have a bigger hunch as to what's going on." Nimura muttered, and his gut instincts were giving him similar feelings. He saw Kaneda perk up and began to push through the crowds. This prompted the burgundy haired teen to do the same as he was going through the congestion of people, not caring if they yell out in panic or frustration for running through them.

"Wait! Please Wait! I just want to talk to you!" He heard Kaneda shout to the girl. Nimura saw her for a split second before she disappeared into the crowds again. Kaneda went on a full sprint until the loud rumbling of a helicopter was flying above them. It startled the burgundy haired teen to a certain degree that he nearly lost track of Kaneda. 

'Shit! I need to stay focused. Kaneda disappears in a flash.' Nimura reminds himself internally as he was running behind Kaneda who was doing down in search of the girl who may have the key to the whole situation.

~~NUMBER 26~~

He was not one to approach strangers. His shy and introverted nature was one of those aspects. So when the older guy had found his hiding spot all because he got scared by a rodent, he went on guard.

He doesn't trust anyone in this giant city ever since he escaped unwillingly from the facility he was in. He nearly got himself beaten by those teenagers who wanted revenge, so that enough explained he saw the city nothing but hostile...except for one teenager earlier who he felt sorry for hurting because that teenager was the quietest one and he saw his eyes meant no harm...maybe not everyone was hostile. 

Using his psychokinetic abilities he flung a crate towards the older guy, making the latter elicit a cry of shock.

"Just cool it would you!? Stop it!" The man shouted frantically, trying to help calm him down, like as if it would work after seeing the dark environment he escaped into. "I'm on your side!" The man urged once more, prompting the child to stop his movements. With reluctance and hesitance, he stepped out of the crate just slightly and looked into the male's eyes.

"My side…?" Number 26 trailed off, unsure if this was a bait of some sort, or it was the truth.

"Yes! My organization was the one who got you out! Trust me I don't want to hurt you." The man claimed to him, a lightened expression on his face now that he felt seemingly calm. "It's not safe here. The area's swarming with people who're after you!" The man continued, looking around their surroundings.

"Are they wearing white coats?" Number 26 asked, nervous of what was the man going to say and what he meant.

"Yes. And there are lot's of them." The man replied. And the child felt a little more comfortable approaching the man who seemingly wanted to help him escape. And he detected no deceit or lies from the older male.

The sound of crunching snapped in their ears and the duo were startled, whipping their heads around to the source of the noise. Number 26's eyes widened, it was the same teenager who wanted to attack him earlier in the flesh...and his friend...the one who didn't want to hurt him and pulled him out while bracing the attack, his unusual hair color standing out as he was a little behind from the first teenager. "YOU!!!"

~~NIMURA~~

Nimura had managed to come to a halt, trying hard not to puff out loudly. Kaneda had yet to notice Nimura behind him, but considering this new confrontation with the guy and the prune, bizarre child.

'This isn't going to end well…' Nimura trailed off in his thoughts, seeing Kaneda clench his fists slightly as the man in front of him gave the former a glare.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend over there?" Kaneda questioned. The man simply scoffed.

"Some other time perhaps. We have to be running along." The man replied to the Capsule leader.

"Cut the crap." Kaneda said, narrowing his eyes at the duo. "He and I have some unfinished business." The words made the child recoil in fear a little. Nimura didn't like how this was turning out. His movements felt chained to the ground, he couldn't move for some reason. Maybe it was the tension making him freeze his limbs and muscles. His breathing had been very low yet incoherent. He could even feel his own heart pounding and pulsing wildly in this constricting atmosphere.

"I don't have time for games." The man refuted, looking very annoyed at the confrontation he was dealing with. Kaneda clenched his fists again at that.

"Then go! My business is with the midget, not you!" Kaneda yelled, angry that this asshole was wasting his time. And while Nimura was watching the whole thing unfold, he could sense the man giving him subtle glances with the movement of his eyes. 

"So you're not gonna fucking move?" Kaneda growled, and Nimura could see the older man bite his cheeks from the movement of his jaws and mouth. The moment he took out something black and metal from his pocket, Nimura's blood ran cold, eyes widened in paranoia as the man took out his gun and pointed at Kaneda. The Capsule leader froze, expression morphing to that of fear. He made a gulping sound with his throat.

"I said I don't got time for games!" The man yelled out, clearly angry and disdainful that it had to come to this.

'Oh shit...what do I do? How do I intervene into this!? I need to get Kaneda out of this! I knew it was going to get worse the moment Kaneda continued to pester him...come on Nimura think...think! Kaneda needs you!' Nimura was having a war within his own mind, his mind was at the edge of having a panic attack of how he'll save Kaneda. But his body wouldn't move, not even his mouth would move. He was shaking, his best friend was at a life and death situation.

Before either party could make a move, a bright light blinded the 4 of them, making them compromised by another guest.

"What's going on here!?" A soldier shouted as he shines his light upon them. Nimura went on high alert mode. It was the military! "He's got a gun!" One of the soldiers shouted. 

The man whipped his head around to look at Kaneda, then at Nimura with panicked eyes. "BOTH OF YOU GET OUT OF HERE!!!" He screamed, before taking the child and running. 

The moment Kaneda heard the term 'both', he looked behind him only to see burgundy hair coming at him, and getting dragged by the arm and sprinting forward. Nimura would not allow Kaneda to have his life taken away by those corrupt scumbags like they did with Tetsuo.

They were sprinting side by side as they heard footsteps hot on their trail. Gunshots were heard on the other end, most likely was the older male firing those rounds.

"DON'T SHOOT!!! WE'RE NOT THE ONES YOU'RE AFTER!!!" Kaneda screamed beside Nimura, and the hair rising chase only made his heart pound faster than before, blood running cold at their fate getting closer to them. This wasn't how things were supposed to turn out! It wasn't supposed to go out like this! His headache returning back to him like a tidal wave.

Kaneda's stressed gasp snapped him out of his thoughts, and Nimura looked in front of him to see something they wished they didn't encounter.

"I-it's a deadend." Nimura choked out, the air crushing him now. Kaneda turned to Nimura and saw the chaotic mishap. Nimura's calm expression was breaking apart from the new event, and all he saw was him trembling and sweat dripping down from his forehead. His breathing was short and irregular. He was trying to remain calm but the tension didn't let him, and it made Kaneda worried for his best friend's state.

The bright flashlight blinded them yet again, and Nimura's heart dropped, his blood pressure went sky high realizing it was futile and hopeless to escape this fate. How useless is he? Kaneda surprised him by going in front of Nimura in a protective like stance. This shocked the burgundy haired teen.

"You two there! Freeze! Put your hands up!" The soldier ordered them. Nimura would have complied if he hadn't heard the click of a gun.

"Don't make a move. Throw your gun down." He heard a second voice call out, sounding dangerous and feminine, but at the same time uncertain and trembling. However the moment the soldier flashed his light away from the two Capsule members eyes, Nimura whipped his head to the direction of the voice at the wrong moment. He turned to see the girl from the Harukiya shoot her gun while shutting her eyes in the process, and the bullet went through the soldier's head like a balloon popping. Everything was in motion as Nimura and Kaneda stood shock at the gruesome sight before them. 

It only gotten worse when the dead soldier crashes to the wall they're on, and sliding down from it as a large amount of blood is smeared and dripping. Some of the blood splattered onto Nimura's shoulder when he fell to the brick wall. But the grotesque and bloody sight before him made Nimura sick and squeamish. He wanted to vomit as the iron caught up into his nose. He put a hand over his mouth and clamped it shut as he felt bile rushing up his esophagus. 

"Come on, this way! Follow me!" The woman told them, and Nimura didn't fully register the words until Kaneda grabs him and they run off to follow the girl. Nimura had swallowed the bile that had threatened to spill from his mouth back down, and did his best to regain his composure as he was running alongside Kaneda. Little did he know though, Kaneda had been watching him the whole time, and from seeing those expressions, it put Kaneda on a heavy sense of dread and edge for Nimura's mental state. He had to keep an eye on his childhood friend's mental and emotional health.

~~RYU~~

He swore under his breath as he ran with the child on many corners and sidewalks all while trying to outrun the soldiers. Unfortunately for him, there were too many of them to handle. He dashed down the path, running into a shopping mall as he and the child through ragged breaths and tense muscles try to avoid the military. Their actions however caused bystanders to gasp and yelp in surprise and astonishment.

He clenched his hand around his pistol as he fired round after round towards the advancing military soldiers, hoping at least one of them were hit and could slow down their process of trying to get them.

"THEY'RE IN THE SHOPPING MALL!!! CIRCLE AROUND THE OTHER SIDE AND CUT THEM OFF!!!" One of the soldiers declared. Ryu pulled Number 26 forward as he sprinted down the passageway of the shopping mall with him, going through multiple people in a chaotic and frantic behavior that made people cry out in anger and shock. He bumped into a woman which made her drop all her groceries, eliciting a shout of frustration at him and letting out a brief set of expletives and angry banter. Ryu made his way into an abandoned channel while holding the prune and wrinkled child

The black car however were tracking the duo's movements thanks to the report from the brigade chasing them.

"It appears we've found Number 26." The driver announced, glancing to the passenger behind him.

"What do you mean 'appears'?" The authoritarian man asked, skeptical and bored as he stared back at the driver.

"There has been no positive identification, but our forces are in pursuit of them now. They...have a gun." The other agent in the passenger seat clarified, though reluctant as he mentions the last sentence.

"They?" The man refutes with a scoff at this outcome. He sinks back into his seat before relaxing. "Very well. Contact the laboratory. Tell them we'll be needing Masaru." He ordered.

"M-Masaru!?" The agent stuttered as he turned around to look at his superior, frozen as the order that was given to him shocked him to the very core. "But...Masaru is-!"

"Masaru may succeed where one hundred of my men have failed…" The man interjected, his eyes narrowing into a glare at his subordinate's hesitation. "Now stop wasting time and obey me!" He ordered, his authoritarian voice booming the entire car.

~~NIMURA~~

Nimura had been running alongside Kanesa and the girl in the disgusting and repulsive channel. And while he thanks her for rescuing the both of them internally, he still felt sick to his stomach of witnessing the murder before his eyes in the most bloody way. 

"This way! Quickly!" The woman's voice had taken Nimura out of his sea of thoughts, which were full of tension, angst, and chaos. While Nimura was fairly able to catch up to her, Kaneda was getting very tired from all the running they were doing. Running out of breath and stamina for the most part. When they reached a corner however, the girl abruptly stopped there, a number of lights were flashing at the wall across.

"Hey I saw something over there! Bring a light, break the infrared!" A soldier called out as the voice echoed the filthy channel. Lights were flashing across, and it set the trio on edge. Nimura tried to keep his breathing calm and collected, but the light kept coming closer and closer. He shut his eyes unable to watch anymore chaos tonight until-

"They're in the shopping Mall! Let's go, the other unit had found them!" Nimura heard them shout. And the sound of voices and footsteps began to fade as they were now alone.

"By the way, who the hell are you guys?" Kaneda broke the silence, huffing out air as he relaxed his lungs.

"That's what I want to know!" The girl rebutted with a question of her own. She eyed them both before eyeing specifically at the Capsule leader. "Who are you? And what is your connection to the little guy?"

"You mean that pint sized freak?" Kaneda asked quickly, his eyes narrowing as he asked her. The girl shook her head before her expression changed to a serious look. 

"Not that it matters. I can't let you go now." She stated, and Nimura's eyes flickered to the girl's pocket as she took out her gun and aimed at Kaneda, the latter being in front of Nimura. The burgundy haired teen had kept his calm and collected attitude, underneath it was fear and dread. And those two feelings were from the entire chaos of the night plus the very thing that could take away their lives in a flash. "Come with me." She added, her voice leaving no room for questions.

"My pleasure!" Kaneda responded with a snap of his fingers, a charming tone and casanova smirk plastered on his face as the older girl grimaced at his antics. Nimura really wanted to facepalm at his best friend's behavior, but resorted by sighing softly through his nose. While they were walking he put his hand near his neck and began clutching the rosary through his shirt. And it was the only thing keeping him calm at that moment.

"Could this night get any worse?" Nimura whispered to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I'm traumatizing Nimura in the most jump scaring way. Poor Nimura seeing all the violence and feelings of angst. And Kaneda is noticing all of this and is very concerned for his burgundy haired friend's mental state after still remembering the scars 6 months ago.
> 
> Chapter 11 will be up on Friday, and it is going to be a long one. A long angsty, suspenseful one.Feedback and Criticism is welcomed.


	11. Crumbling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The nights of the events have gone uncontrolled, Nimura and Kaneda are saved by the mysterious woman who is named Kei. But while they tread their way hiding from the military and rescuing Ryu and the child under extreme circumstances, just who else is out there on their trails? And what just how is Nimura going to adjust to this new level of chaos that is at his throat and at their lives?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Me again! I have to apologize for my absense yesterday. My phone had stopped working and could no longer charge, which made me have to buy a new one. But doing that it erased my draft of chapter 11 much to my horror. But not to worry as the chapter is now up and it is a long one. A long rollercoatser ride of angst, suspense, and something else...enjoy!
> 
> I DO NOT OWN AKIRA. ALL CHARACTERS AND MATERIALS ARE OWNED BY OTOMO KATSUHIRO.  
> OCS BELONG TO ME.

~~RYU~~

The pulsing, high end tension, and panicking event is doing nothing for him other than making his blood pressure go to the roof. They increased the amount of military soldiers in this area to kill him and capture number 26, behind a broken down vehicle.

Even with all of this crazy event going on putting his life at jeopardy, he is still not going to back down from his resistance. He fires multiple rounds from his pistol, the sound of gunshots and ricochets ringing in his ears. He heard cries of shock from the other side as his bullets ricocheted on a truck. His gun stopped shooting when he realized the clip was empty. Hastily he dropped the gun magazine, before rolling up his pants to pull out one last clip taped to his calves.

"Blast!" Ryu hissed under his breath as a window shattered from the truck due to a bullet hitting it. He loaded the gun with the magazine before clicking it back in place. He got back up and started to shoot again.

"GET ACROSS THE BRIDGE! RUN!" He yelled to the shaken child over the cacophony of noises, who was paranoid and frozen from the loud gunshots and chaos happening...all because of him.

Meanwhile, the events happening were not far from the military helicopter that was landing, with someone unknown in it.

"We've received word that he's pinned down by the canal in the Eighteenth District, Sir." This caught the authoritative man's attention.

"When is Masaru expected?" The suited man asked.

"His ETA is twenty minutes." The agent responded as the black car continued down the road. 

And as that was happening, the poor shriveled child was left in a sweating, disoriented, bewildering, disconcerting, and paralyzed state as he huffed and wheezed on the cargo he was leaning on. His steps slow, careful, yet agonizing as a mortifying and wicked weight was chaining him down, making it hard to move, hard to think, hard to breathe. He was a terrorizing mess.

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!? GO!!!" Ryu shouted frantically, over the blaring noises of gunshots and yells of chaos. As the military continued to counter attack, Ryu grabbed the wrist of the physically impoverished and frightened child tightly as if his life depended on it before running down to another part of the area they were in. It was all for nothing as a new wave of military soldiers were on their trail and their journey ended shortly when they met a deadend.

Ryu's frame became frigid when he realized there was nowhere else to run to and no way out. He panicked as he held the child which only made the child's mental condition worse.

"Oh crap! We're finished!" He admitted with shock and disbelief. Their fate was coming to a close, and Ryu would have unwillingly accept it and fail his mission, if it hadn't been for the yells and cries of shock and bewilderment.

~~NIMURA~~

He doesn't know where Kaneda gets these insane ideas, but he actually thought that the idea of Kaneda slamming the van into a wall alongside him and Kei would be the death of him, and that haunted him and gave him clips of unwanted memories.

So when the soldiers dodged the incoming van, Kaneda crashed into the wall, nearly sending Nimura forward to the window, and that increased his anxiety right there. His hands clenching the armrest of the chair so tight it started to tear. His mind was at a stagnate form of shock. Kaneda had almost got them killed, and even though it was a very heart pounding situation at the moment, the thought of seeing Kaneda and Kei dead didn't sit well with him at all. It made him sick again, and his headache had returned at a miniscule pounding.

"GET IN!!!" Kaneda boomed at the baffled man with the child before him. Nimura's eyes were scanning with terror and hypertension. He felt very hyperactive at the moment because of the whole situation overwhelming him. He had to be careful to not work himself up more if he didn't want to catch a panic attack and make the situation much worse. He went through enough seeing Tetsuo's accident, the water tower nearly killing him and his friends, the gruesome murder of the soldier, and if he was honest with himself, the kidnapping and torture he suffered in the past.

"RYU GET IN!!! HURRY!!!" Kei shouted to the still shocked male who snapped out of it.

"KEI!?" Ryu choked out, astounded at her appearance with them. He joined in and hoisted himself along with the kid into the van before Kei slid the door shut.

"Alright we're getting out of here!" Kaneda declared, beginning to turn the van until a soldier caught up to his side of the window.

"Back the fuck off!" Kaneda yelled before kicking him in the face with struggle. The troops were trying to stop the van from moving.

"Shit, Kane-!" Before Nimura could come to his best friend's aid, an arm clamped down on Nimura's throat, putting him in a chokehold. The soldier behind him was pulling him back while applying pressure to Nimura's throat, making him unable to breath. Startled, Nimura began clawing at the soldiers hands harshly, cutting him in the process.

"NIMURA!!!" Kaneda screamed, dealing with another soldier while trying to turn the van. Kei got up and began to try and get the man off of Nimura's throat. The soldier's grip was fading but it still wasn't enough to get him off. Out of quick thinking and panicked thoughts, Nimura took out the ice pick from his jacket pocket. He closed his eyes in disgust and jammed the man's elbow real hard, eliciting a scream from his attacker before pulling it out the weapon and headbutting him with the back of his head. He heard a crunch of a bone breaking as he was freed.

Nimura struggled to regain his breathing, trying to call himself down from the rising anxiety that was on the edge of making him collapse before counting his breathing.

"Are...you alright?" A voice called out, and Nimura looked up to find the source. It wasn't Kaneda, Kei or Ryu, even though they sported looks of worry and concern in his direction. It was in fact the mysterious Number 26, the child who asked if he was okay despite his panting.

"Y-yes...I am. I'm fine. Thank you." Nimura replied, stuttering as he was still catching his breath.

"Don't worry Nimura, we're gonna get out of this fucking cesspool." Kaneda added in, trying to ease his childhood friend. Deep down in the Capsule leader's soul, he was petrified of seeing Nimura get grabbed, and the thought of him getting captured made his insides churn with negativity. 

"That was a close one. We ought to just keep driving ahead while we think of a plan." Kei said out loud, her words resonating within the rumbling van. Nimura hoped it wasn't something crazy.

~~COLONEL~~

"Be careful," The authoritarian man announced as he made his way to the back of the military helicopter. Seeing his order had come in time, he felt fulfilled and a little satisfied that a task that many of his men had failed in would be handled in a single timeframe with the help of Masaru. The chopper opened it's doors, revealing several men in black suits, escorting a sophisticated and futuristic designed chair.

The Colonel was watching the shadowed figure coming down in the hovering chair as the light shined upon the figure. The figure had wrinkled, rugged, and prune skin, akin to the subject who escaped their custody. Masaru was seated in his hovering chair to help him move around. And with this aid, The Colonel is now sure that they will get back Takashi, a.k.a Number 26 without fail.

~~NIMURA~~

The nearly broken down vehicle ransacked the road of the bridge. On the other side was a military blockade to apprehend the vehicle and suspects.

"We're in position on the bridge! They won't get by us." One of the military officers radioed in. 

"Here they come!" A soldier shouted to the brigade. They took aim and all clicked their guns at the moving vehicle which made noises of grunting and thumping due to the damage on the tires.

"NOW!!! FIRE!!!" The officer commanded, and multiple rounds were firing at the vehicle. However upon them firing the van caught on fire while it continued to take it's course to the blockade. 

"WATCH OUT IT'S GOING TO HIT!!!" One of them shouted, but it went on deaf ears as the burning van crashed into the trailer, blowing up along with the soldiers caught in the powerful explosion.

Nimura glanced to the bridge as the explosion ringed in his ears. He was standing beside Kei and the child while Kaneda and Ryu were in the front, watching the fiery onslaught before their eyes by the canal.

"I suppose I ought to thank you, actually the both of you." Ryu expressed, his tone calm and relief, as if the chaos had been finally dealt with. Kaneda looked towards the older man. 

"Keep your thanks, Mister. Just remember you owe me one." The Capsule leader replied, a genuine smile on his face. Kaneda then looked to his best friend, a calm and relieved expression was shown to Nimura. In a way it was meant to help Nimura's nerves. And while the burgundy haired teen felt content at Kaneda smiling at him, there was also a hidden emotion: one of worry. And it made Nimura want to check on him later on when they get back.

"Right. Let's get out of here." Ryu declared, but Nimura, for some strange reason in his gut that something wasn't right. And it was stemming from the child's rigid and uncomfortable position.

"Ryu, wait a minute! There's something wrong with him!" Kei beckoned to them. Ryu's expression turned baffled as Nimura began to get closer to the child. "What's wrong Kei?"

"He's sweating and shaking like a leaf." Kei described the child's condition, worry evident in her tone and features. And she was right, Nimura bends down to the constricting child who was struggling to sit up, and saw he was shaking profusely. This child was a literal mess. He was sweating like as if he came out the shower, his teeth grinding together harshly they could break from the pressure, and the painful groans and grunts he was letting out made the air heavy. Suddenly the walls to the bridge cracks loudly, everyone shouting in shock while Nimura stood paranoid at the sight.

"The whole place is coming down!" Kaneda yells in a frenzy, for the first time in a while hearing Kaneda panic and lose his cool. Kei whipped her head around to the discombobulated and tense child. 

"You-You're...you're doing it, aren't you? Kei asked, the child still in this terrible and unsettling position of unspeakable pain. Something strange ticked his mind, and a sense of warmth overcame him. He picked up the child gently and held him as he sat down. Despite the situation they were in, Nimura felt this confusing need to help ease the prune kid. 

Number 26, while still in the horrendous pain and non-stop trembling, felt baffled by the care coming from Nimura. In a way it helped stop him from making the bridge crumble and calmed down his powers. Even Kaneda, Kei, and Ryu were surprised by how well Nimura was handling the situation.

"It's gonna be okay...we all be fine and make it out of this situation. Okay?" Nimura told the disoriented child, and for some reason he felt like he heard those words before, in a similar way. It not only calmed the child, but also him. But it was short lived when the child got tense again and glanced out the small tunnel. Nimura then followed his line of sight before his hair on the back of his neck stands up. The trio look to where Nimura and the child were staring at.

"What's that?" Kei asked, her voice skeptical and cautious. Nimura felt a wave of mystery and trepidation. Just who or what the hell is that? It wasn't malevolent or evil, but it also wasn't on their side. The ominous silence and tense breathing didn't make things better. The kid got off of Nimura's hold and began crawling to where the other figure was...floating at.

"Is it the army?" Kaneda whispered, backed up against the cracked wall of the bridge. Ryu aimed his gun at the hovering figure who now had light. And Nimura took in his appearance and it astounded him. That individual had the same skin tone and skin appearance as Number 26. The prune wrinkled skin, white hair, wizened features, it was very similar. Even their appearance of a man child. This whole thing made Nimura's stomach doing flips and flops. 

"Ta...ka...shi" Was all the child like individual muttered out, but it made the child in their possession perk up. Nimura's whole being shuttered from how it was said.

"Takashi!?" Ryu screeched in astonishment. 

"Is that your name!?" Kei asked as her voice raised loudly from this new turn of events. Nimura turned his head around back at the unknown figure and saw his full appearance. Aside from his physical features, he was wearing a double breasted suit, and while he was wearing the slacks to the suit, his legs appeared frail and weak, implying he is physically disabled.

"I've come to take you back." The individual started off. "We're not like the others...we can't live outside. Come with me...come home." He added, and Nimura noticed a tattoo of some sort on his hand, so when he looked closely, a myriad of thoughts invaded his mind. The hand said 27. He looked back at Takashi, who had his hand raised due to Ryu, and saw the number 26. Things were starting to become more confusing by the minute.

"...Pill...give...me-!" Takashi groaned out his needs for something until Ryu abruptly interjected him.

"Is that really your name!? Takashi!?" Ryu exclaimed as his face contorted in utter shock. "But...if that's true, then you're not...we thought you…" Ryu kept pausing in his sentence, unsure and uncertain of this outcome. He trailed off before coming to eye contact with the other prune and bizarre child.

"...AKIRA…?" Ryu asked to the hovering figure. And while the brief silence was becoming much more tense by the minute, Nimura stopped to wonder when Ryu said Akira. 

"No. I am not." Was the individual's response. The looks of Ryu, Kei, and Nimura were thoughtful and intense as the figure replied, while Kaneda had a perplexed expression on his face. Nimura stood beside Kaneda, a sense of protecting over both his best friend and the kid, Takashi.

"And just how did you learn of AKIRA?" A booming and authoritarian voice filled the air. Nimura felt a burning chill down his spine from the voice. He hadn't felt this type of feeling from hearing someone's voice since...Kazunari. But unlike Kazunari's croaky, malevolent, and rugged voice, this voice was firm, strong, and dominant. He happened to look up and make eye contact with the towering man above him, while the rest of the comrades followed suit. 

The burning gaze of that man made Nimura feel...small...and vulnerable. He's never felt that before since...childhood. It was frightening to be under his gaze, but Nimura was putting on a mask of bravery and composure. He needed to keep a cool headed mindset here. The running of multiple footsteps coerced Nimura out of his thoughts.

"Uh oh…" Kaneda blurted out as multiple soldiers surrounded the premises that they were in. 

"Blast it! We're surrounded!" Ryu shouted out, his face sweating from the pressure and anxiety. Nimura's hands began to shake. The pressure, paranoia, anxiety, and exposure getting to him. He was trying to stay calm and stern, but the entire cesspool in front of him continued to pulverize him mentally and emotionally.

"Don't you realize how futile all this is?" The man implied their attempt at escaping. Ryu let out a frustrated huff after lowering his gun.

"A pill...give me...a pill...hurry." Takashi whimpered out, his entire being drenched in sweat and shaking as he eyed the individual on the shuttle desperately. Nimura felt this urge...the urge to protect Takashi as he looked at the child. He went over and picked him up. This surprised both Takashi and Masaru as Nimura hoisted him up his shoulder and rubbed his back. He didn't care about the amount of sweat that was wetting his jacket, or the droplets of the murky sewage water dripping from Takashi's clothes, or the stressful and angst moment right now that was plaguing him and his comrades. And Takashi held him back, in a way grateful for the support and care he was giving him. Kaneda's eyes widened at the surprising image before him and the action his best friend is doing.

'I don't know why...but it feels like I've felt something like this similar before. I've felt like I was held before in an affectionate way...but I can't remember where.' Nimura pondered in his thoughts, caught up on what overcame him protecting Takashi and why he is feeling like this.

"In a way, I am grateful to you. Obviously we need to reexamine our security...find the weak spots…" The authoritative man trailed off, narrowing his eyes in abhorrence as he glanced from Ryu to Kei to Kaneda before switching to Nimura and studying his movements and stance as he was holding Takashi protectively. "Even so, I am impressed you've made this far." He added, his tone having a sardonic undertone to it.

"Ryu, We've got to do something!" Kei yelled to her partner fear and panic evident in her body language and features. Ryu could only growl in anger and irritation at this result of defeat.

Nimura looked all over his surroundings, unable to conjure an idea or plan of escape or a distraction while he can protect Takashi. But the more he looked, the more hopeless it became. He could always think of a plan and give ideas out due to how good he can be at observing his surroundings and perception. But now...he completely couldn't. Was his anxiety this bad that his brain had failed to comprehend thoughts and commands from his nervous system? Was this situation really difficult to overcome, and nothing but fright and nervousness took place? He hadn't realized his weaknesses in this situation or he just didn't know? Is he this useless? 

The feeling of Takashi's ragged breathing exhaling on his neck while his hand grasping his jacket was the only thing keeping Nimura as calm as he can. He had to be calm and level headed despite his body threatening to tremble at any given moment. He had to get everyone out of here, especially Kaneda, and for some reason, Takashi. A firm hand however clasped his shoulder, and Nimura turned to see Kaneda looking at him.

"Mura, put the kid down. I've got an idea…" Kaneda trailed off, the familiar glint of determination clear in his eyes and Nimura already knew Kaneda was going to something reckless and crazy.

"It better not be something insane…" Nimura said, trailing down as he reluctantly put Takashi down, who was shocked and a little sad at the loss of contact and Nimura's warmth. He saw Kaneda approach Kei subtly, while bringing up his hand.

"Give me your gun!" Kaneda ordered the older girl, who elicited a look of astonishment, before it turned exasperated as she put the gun in his hand.

"Right…" Kaneda gulped down, and in a flash Nimura saw his friend arched his leg and kicked Takashi into the disgustingly brown sewage water of the canals, causing the child to cry out. The action made Nimura nearly choke on his own gasp while a discord of cries and gasps were heard all, and he smirked smugly as he jumped to where Takashi is and clicked the gun. "FREEZE, SUCKERS!!!" He boomed, pointing the gun to the prune child's forehead.

"Kaneda what the hell are you doing!?" Nimura whispered-yelled in indignation, unable to comprehend Kaneda's reckless action to the child and his insane idea. His anxiousness was overcoming him now, and the trembling of his hands had returned with vengeance.

"You're being foolish…" The man started off, narrowing his eyes in anger at the rowdy teenager.

"I DON'T WANT TO FUCKING HEAR IT!!!" Kaneda blared with an extremely loud scream, causing the groups of soldiers to watch in awe and shock at the scene before. Even Nimura flinched at the overbearing tone Kaneda used. "For some reason, this little creep's important to you! And this gun I'm holding has a hair-trigger!" He continued as he eyed the man above. 

Nimura felt queasy again, this time for what the man was planning as his eyes narrowed with a smug and nonchalant glint.

"You still refuse to understand? Very well…" The man scoffed, before turning his gaze to the flabbergasted child on the shuttle. "Masaru…"

"Colonel...Takashi is in a very critical state…" Masaru stated, his tone full of concern and edge.

"Precisely," The Colonel added. "Speed is of the essence...and guns are of no use now." He finished, his voice commanding and firm as he watched the event below him. Nimura heard this, it sent his mind in a flurry of just what that man has planned up his sleeves and what the handicapped child's capabilities. It made him fear for Kaneda's safety.

"KNOCK OFF THE CHATTER UP THERE!!! IF YOU LET US GO, THE FREAK'S ALL YOURS!!!" Kaneda screamed at the man above him, hoisting Takashi's collar roughly fixing his gaze to him. "Don't worry, we won't really hurt you." He muttered to the child, easing Takashi's paranoid nerves somewhat. He glanced back up to the Colonel.

"SO WHAT'S IT GONNA BE?!" Kaneda roared out, returning his attention back to the stunned crowd.

Masaru gulped down as his voice shook with hesitance and fright. "He needs a pill-!"

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!" The Colonel thundered, his voice making everyone flinch at the tone and Nimura's spine felt the coldest chill from it. It made him stand rooted to his place. He watched Kaneda with undermining worry.

"Here goes…" Kaneda murmured, as the child stood dazed and paralyzed from the mind boggling pain his mind and body was going through. It made Nimura feel a strong pang of guilt and remorse at the way the child looked. He wanted to help so badly, but at the same time wanted to know how all of this will play out.

"A pill…" Takashi groaned out, making everyone worry and fear for his well being and condition. Nimura couldn't stand this tension that continued to stray in the atmosphere. It was eating him alive, and he felt powerless to stop it right now.

What felt like mere minutes to Nimura was moments as Kaneda relaxed in his position. A smug, prideful smirk was plastered on his face as he eyed the Colonel, like he won the match. "So...I guess we'll be going." He remarked. 

Nimura was sent into a swirl of confusion at his words, while Kei and Ryu looked at each other with baffling expressions at just what occurred. Nimura felt off, as he eyed the Colonel first, then glancing towards Masaru, who both had calculating expressions. It made Nimura subconsciously clutch his rosary again, feeling the beads rattle inside his shirt. This was the only last thing to keep himself calm. He remembered Kaneda's words replaying in his head when they were at the Orphanage, regarding his rosary, and counted backwards to regulate his breathing over and over in his thoughts.

"MASARU!!!" The Colonel shouted, not doing well for Nimura's nerves.

"Hey Masaru, or whatever your name is…what's your problem? Back off and get lost if you care about your friend." Kaneda sneered at the prune handicapped child, still gripping Takashi's collar. Masaru's expression morphed into a deep frown at the result. Nimura looked at the entire area. A dark unsettling, tar like feeling restrained Nimura's entire body as the air drifted heavy. His heart thundered in his ears as something swirls in the filthy water. He froze, his eyes widened as a violent and powerful whirlpool was created right where Kaneda and Takashi were standing. Gasps of horror and surprise filled Nimura's ears while his heart plummeted, his hand twisting the rosary in his strained and untamed hands, his veins visible in the process at the unfolding chaos.

"WHAT ARE YOU-!" Kaneda hollered, putting himself in a more dangerous position as he shook the child with fury for what he was causing. "HEY STOP THAT!!!" 

"I-I-I can't stop!" Takashi strained out with agony, tears falling down his face. Nimura seeing all of this made his heart beat rapidly at the collapsing scene in front of him. His lungs were hurting for not breathing properly, his stomach hurting from the ongoing jump scares.

"Then I've got no fucking choice!" Kaneda declared, before lurching Takashi's collar forward. He raised the gun in his hand, using it to hit him. All disorienting thoughts in Nimura's mind ceased. The cries and shouts of stop and enough blared the air. Nimura felt something peculiar and hair rising inside him.

"NOOOO!!! STOP IT!!!" Nimura roared, his voice taking a high octave and echoing the canal. Of all the voice that told him to stop, Kaneda immediately froze when he heard Nimura's screaming pleas. He whipped his head at Nimura and Kaneda's face paled.

Nimura's face was...traumatized. It was full of shock, anxiousness, disturbance, and utter fright. His teeth was chattering in panic, his form trembling, sweat cascading down his face, both hands clutching his rosary, his face had veins sticking out due to being extremely tense, his eyes dilated with fear. It made Kaneda's mind, body and soul shutter and rattle as he fixed his gaze back to the wheezing child. Then a haunting memory flashed in Kaneda's eyes as he looked at Takashi.

It was a memory...of Nimura's battered, bloody, and nearly lifeless body in front of him replacing the real form of Takashi. Kaneda's eyes widened before he shook his head. 

'What the fuck was I about to do…? If I had bashed this kid with the gun, I'd be no better than the fuckers that tortured Mura.' Kaneda reflected in his thoughts, untamed guilt clawing at him. But it was short lived as the canal began to make unholy noises,and it split right where he and Takashi were at. 

"HOLY SHIT!!!" Kaneda screamed as he still held Takashi. Nimura, every thought gone, ran before his mind could think.

"KANEDAAAAA!!!" Nimura screamed, running towards him, before abruptly shielding Kaneda and Takashi with his arms, scared for his best friend's life and the kid's life. He held them both tightly, but it was all for naught when the sewage water lurched up high in the air, and the 3 of them were launched upward. Nimura panicked as he lost grasp of Kaneda and Takashi, before falling into the brown water, slipping away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a angsty cliffhanger. What will happen to the group now in this new chaos? More importantly...what will happen to Nimura? And what familiar and warm feeling is Nimura feeling when he gets protective of Takashi?
> 
> Next time on chapter 12 >:)


	12. Leap of Faith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The unraveling of the event before their eyes, Nimura is forcibly dragged away from the scene by Ryu and Kei to prevent capture. But Nimura delves into negative thoughts as abandoning Kaneda at the canal makes him go through places of self loathe and doubts. With the Colonel furious over the stealing of the capsule and Kaneda's lucky escape, what will go down for both parties tonight?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Guys! Chapter 12 is out. There is some vague warnings here but I'll let you guys read it as it does go a little dark down here and goes into a certain flashback of a certain character. Anways enjoy!
> 
> I DO NOT OWN AKIRA. ALL CHARACTERS AND MATERIALS ARE OWNED BY OTOMO KATSUHIRO.  
> OCS BELONG TO ME.

THEY MUSTN'T ESCAPE!!!" The Colonel boomed, eyes evident with rage, expression contorting into said expression. His posture stiff as he sees the chaos revealing itself before it's eyes as a result of Takashi's unstable condition. "SHOOT! SHOOT! GET THEM!!!" He commanded once more as he's seeing the two figures under the bridge making their escape. He was not going to let them or those two juveniles escape.

A whirlwind of shock and intense confusion went on in the burgundy haired teen's mess of a brain. One minute he felt like he was losing consciousness, then the next minute he hit his head and shoulder blades on the solid sidelines of the canal, evoking him to choke, cough and hack up the disgusting, brown sewage water that invaded his airways. The smell and accidental taste of it was so unpleasant and rotten that he gagged, the bile that he had forced himself to swallow earlier came back at full force, throwing up in the water. Not a moment later he was pulled by his arm up from the collapsing canal, startling him until he realized Ryu pulled him out.

"Hey, are you alright?!" Ryu shouted to the discombobulated teen below him. Nimura barely nodded before getting up to see the aftermath. Utter destruction of the canal and the panicked shouts of soldiers filled the air. Another thought rammed his mind, one that made his blood and veins cold.

Kaneda…

'Where the hell is Kaneda!? I don't see him anywhere! I see Takashi but I don't see my friend!' His mind was spiraling downward as he couldn't find Kaneda anywhere. 

"Where is he…!? Where's Kaneda-!" He was interrupted as his arm was yanked backwards by Ryu. Nimura didn't realize he was about to jump back into the channel.

"What the hell are you doing!? You can't go back down there with all those soldiers!" Ryu hollered at the burgundy haired teen. Nimura shook his head trying to take Ryu's arm off of him.

"I gotta look for Kaneda! I'm not leaving him behind in this mess! I can't leave him behind!" Nimura shouted quickly.

"Are you crazy!? If you go back down there they'll catch you, or worst kill you!" Ryu tried to reason with Nimura. The teen wasn't having it despite the dire situation they were in.

"I said no! I'm not leaving without Kaneda!" Nimura argued back to the older male, a mixture of anger, an emotion he has never felt before, and anxiety.

"You don't have a choice! We need to get out of here! Kei-ah KEI WATCH OUT!!!" Ryu screamed, as the brown sewage water launched up high in the air and Kei was right in front, paralyzed at the sight before her. Then the foothold below them began to split apart, Ryu and Nimura on one side, and Kei on the other side. Nothing but panic and alarms rang in Nimura's mind and body. His adrenaline is putting his senses on overdrive. As Ryu began climbing he saw the exchange between Takashi and Masaru and the latter threw an odd pill. Unfortunately it missed Takashi's hands and it got caught in...the hands of Kaneda. 

"Stop daydreaming! We need to get out of here now!" Ryu snapped him out of his staring and Nimura climbed up the rugged surfaces to where the former was. It got worse when more rumbling was heard and the canal collapsed further as water slipped deeper into the earth. Nimura instantly grabbed Kei's hand as the last foothold under her fell. Ryu joined in at the two and lifted her up from falling down a long fall. When Kei gained her balance, she looked towards Ryu.

"That boy...Kaneda...did he…?" She trailed off, glancing around the now ruined channel. Nimura frantically looked around the area for Kaneda at his stance, but the more he kept looking, the more dread pooled in his stomach. The sudden sound of whirring coming from the military helicopter above them was heard.

"We can't worry about him now!" Ryu declared, making Nimura's heart pound at how compromised they were, but it doesn't change the fact that Kaneda's whereabouts are unknown. Ryu then glances to Nimura as they start moving. "You have no choice but to come with us until we're out of the military's eyes. It's either us or them, and I highly doubt you want them to catch you." Ryu said sternly to the burgundy haired teen.

Nimura couldn't abandon Kaneda. He couldn't just simply leave his best friend behind in that chaotic cesspool down there. But if he were to go back down there, the chances of getting captured by the military were high, and sadly that's the last thing he needs. Reluctantly, he ran with Ryu and Kei away from the channel. A whirlpool of guilt, self-loathe, self-doubt, remorse and melancholy concocted within Nimura's digestive system. It felt toxic and constricting to him, like his hands were tied for deciding options.

All he really hopes is that Kaneda made it out safe and sound. Otherwise he wouldn't be able to cope with the loss. Nor would he know how to.

~~COLONEL~~

The destruction of the canal ceased, as soldiers who were still alive and conscious were able to help and aid their injured comrades from the onslaught that ensued moments ago.

The colonel stood before a frowning Masaru, and a nearly unconscious Takashi on the floor, panting out air as he's in an unstable and ill condition, albeit calmer and less painful than before.

"SOUND OFF!" A soldier blared out, his hand raises up to get the attention of all the other soldiers. "I Want a full head count! Anyone who's still on their feet, go after them! The wounded need to be taken to the hospital!" The officer commanded the stable men who were already on their way.

The Colonel had heard what happened to the capsule as soon as Masaru told him.

"WHAT!? MASARU!" He barked, fists clenching in rage at the outcome. Masaru panicked slightly as he gulped, feeling uncomfortable under the authoritarian man's gaze.

"You let him...steal the capsule?" The Colonel growled out, teeth gritting at the slip up. With that juvenile having possession of the capsule, it puts that kid on his wanted list to capture him. He wasn't let him off the hook, the two other individuals...nor the other delinquent who was beside the miserable upstart the whole time. 

It sent a weird and funny feeling down his gut when he first saw the burgundy haired teen. The problem was, he didn't know why that teen gave him this weird, vague feeling of something...he will find out one way or another.

~~KANEDA~~

The splosh and wet noises of his boots thoroughly explain just how drenched he is...along with the filthy and rancid smell thanks to the sewage water.

"What a night…" He sighed out, drained from the running and wild chase he had, recalling over the night's events. "What a mess…" The moment Kaneda said that, he froze. He realized the one person who was by his side tonight wasn't here, kicking his adrenaline up high and blood running cold. His back hunched backwards, before lurching forward letting out a harsh sneeze. Despite that, his mind focused on his childhood friend.

'Shit...Nimura…' Kaneda swore in his thoughts. He realized that his friend had been left behind in that ensuing chaos of hell.

'Fuck fuck fuck! Damn it! I remember Nimura shielding me and the lil kid from that sewage water shit...even though it was that kid's fault for doing that weird thing of his!' Kaneda's thoughts were on a paranoid rampage. First Tetsuo's accident and severe injuries sent him into a swirl of darkness, now Nimura? He lost Nimura once and that was a horrifying and tragic experience for him and the gang. He wasn't going to go through that again. He wasn't going to lose both of his childhood friends now.

'We...we was sent up by the water tide the little creep made, and...FUCK Nimura fell in the water too! Did he escape? Was he captured!? No wait...that Ryu guy helped him up from the water…did he make it out?...he had to!' Kaneda's mind went with the benefit of the doubt, hoping that his best friend escaped to safety. He ran through the alleyway, going into the streets, not caring how bad he reeked or how drenched he is. He needed to make sure his friend made it back...after he took a shower of course.

But deep down, waves of regret, remorse, guilt, and fear brewed in his gut, and the more he ran, the more those negative emotions spread. It grew like wildfire, and Kaneda couldn't fully handle all of the overwhelming pressure. He continued to sprint down the street to his dorm apartment, as his boots made sloshing sounds step after step.

~~NIMURA~~

An hour later

This was the worst day he had ever had. From last night to now, everything was shitty. Why did those two had to take him away from finding Kaneda? He didn't know where his best friend would be now in this rotten metropolis, and with the presence of the military, it would make things alot more complicated. He knows Kaneda is capable of handling himself and getting out of trouble...but those guys back there weren't biker gangs or the cops. Those were the military, and the authoritarian man that was there earlier was no doubt the guy in charge of the military. He hopes Kaneda has made it back and somehow is okay.

In his small shower stall, he does everything he can to wipe off the disgusting, icky, and stinky filth and grime that covered his skin. Using soap and shampoo, he washed and scrubbed thoroughly until he saw not a single speck of filth, before washing his hair completely, rubbing the hair and scalp to make sure it is perfectly clean. Once he was done however, he put his head on the tile underneath the shower head, putting both hands on both sides of his head. Water cascading rapidly down his back and hair, he was in deep thought.

This whole day was hell. Tetsuo wasn't found in any of the medical facilities in Neo-Tokyo, the principals were hellbent on manipulating him to cut off his ties to Kaneda and the Capsules, the arrival of Kei and Ryu and then Takashi had caused more hell and panic, especially with the water tower incident, and now they got into something big with the military. And it almost costed him and Kaneda their lives. That alone sent shivers down his spine. 

All of a sudden, a memory flashes before his eyes.

(Flashback 6 months ago)

"Ah Hasegawa Nimura, what was the most painful thing you have felt in your life? Or rather...pain you have caused to someone else?" The diabolical voice of Kazunari spoke, as Nimura's eyes couldn't scan anything but darkness. He had felt very sensitive to touch and aware of each muscle that would twitch in his body. What did that man inject him with?

Clangs of metal were heard, making Nimura jolt in surprise. Kazunari let out a sigh.

"Still no answer? Then again it is expected of you. But that won't be happening tonight." Kazunari replied to the silence. He pressed the cool blade to Nimura's neck, making his breath hitch and flinch.

"Hmmm...your friends will not be hearing you scream since they have no idea where you'll be. So let's start with the first scream huh?" And the moment he said that, Nimura hurd a whirl before something sharp slashed his arm, and that let out his first scream…

(Present)

Nimura snapped out of it as he felt something scratching both his arms as the water kept beading on them. When he looked, he saw long cut marks, bleeding on both of his arms going from his shoulders to his biceps. He realized that he had scratched himself. Or rather...he inflicted self harm to himself. Was it because of the memory of getting cut up with different sharp objects made him feel like he was back there all over again?

'No...no stop thinking that! I'm not there anymore. I was saved by my friends. I'm home now. And this situation with Tetsuo's disappearance isn't the same as mine! Cool it Nimura.' He scolded his conscience. He needed to really get out of that mindset. He needed to stop thinking back about the past. It doesn't matter anymore.

He washed up the new cuts he has on both his arms now before turning off the water, getting out and began drying himself. He started rubbing alcohol on all of his wounds, from the small tiny cuts on his forearms to the prominent and long ones above his forearms, then proceeded to bandage them carefully once again. He looks at the mirror, and he sees the scars that litter parts of his torso, varying in different sizes, remembering which metal tool had given him those scars. And how each of them were painful and excruciating. He looked up to the now formed bruises on his neck that he got a while ago when the soldier was choking him, and they were a light shade of blue and purple that tainted his light skin tone.

He shook his head before putting on his joggers over his underwear, black t-shirt and black socks. Satisfied with what he was wearing, he stepped out the bathroom, dried up with his burgundy hair damp and made his way to his dorm apartment door. The moment he opened it, was the exact moment that Kaneda stood right there, his fist raised as he was about to knock. 

Both boys became shocked at seeing each other's appearances before they both stuttered. 

"Are you okay?" They both asked simultaneously in shock. Kaneda let out a small sigh of content. "Yeah, I'm fine. Almost got my ass caught by the dumb military. But I got out of trouble."

Nimura nodded at Kaneda's reply and took in his form. He was in a red shirt, black shorts, and was barefoot. Nimura smelled a deodorant like scent from his friend, noting he took far care of himself in taking a shower.

"How about you Mura? Are you...alright?" Kaneda asked as he eyed the bandages on his forearm. Nimura didn't miss the way his friend's tone sounded mellow and melancholic, regardless of how boisterous he sounded.

"Yes. I'm fine. Kei and Ryu had grabbed me out of the canal. I was trying to find you and wanted to get you out, but I couldn't...Ryu yanked me away from the scene...which left you alone to be in that mess…" Nimura trailed off, his eyes avoiding Kaneda's onyx ones. He didn't want Kaneda to notice his self loathing thoughts or guilty look in his eyes. But Kaneda was very observant with emotions even if he always kept it behind a mask. He put both his hands on Nimura's shoulders, getting his undivided attention.

"Nimura," Kaneda starts off, giving him an intense look that was a mixture of seriousness and worry. "I really thought I seriously lost you back there. I really thought I did. Even if you wasn't with me, I'm glad that those two were able to get you out of there from that skinhead. Plus he was staring at you as if you were some unknown creature from another planet. I don't know if it was because of you holding that lil creep, or if you had that kind of weird impact on him." Kaneda explained to the burgundy haired teen, who had a surprised look on his face from being told this.

"But, I honestly appreciate you for always having my back for anything. I truly mean it, but also don't want you to get hurt for my recklessness. I know you're strong, and is capable of handling yourself. But don't get yourself hurt for something reckless. I still need to watch over your mental health since you still are recovering. I just need you to be safe." Kaneda added on, and it made Nimura still look dumbfounded at how concerned and worried Kaneda is right now. This is the most concerned he had seen his friend since the hospital months ago. 

"Vice versa for you too Kaneda. I have to keep watch of you too. The last thing I need for you is getting hurt. I know my actions are quick thinking and sometimes irrational, but we're both in this now. And I'm going to do what I need to protect my friends. Especially the ones I grew up with." Nimura responded, black eyes looking back at Kaneda's onyx ones. The Capsule leader is surprised by Nimura's selflessness, and how far he is willing to go to protect everyone. These are the list of reasons why Kaneda made the burgundy haired teen his right hand man, and second in command.

"Still I'm glad you're alright…" Kaneda trailed off, before he lurched forward and pulled Nimura down, making the Capsule leader give Nimura a head nuggy. "I would've kicked your ass if you wasn't okay!" Kaneda yelled out, his tone layered with playful smugness and banter. Nimura let out a chuckle as he struggled against Kaneda's strength.

"How would you have kicked my ass if I wasn't okay?" Nimura said out loud as Kaneda stopped his prank.

"Pffft I would figure out ways Mura." Kaneda scoffed at the question. After that, a comfortable silence was heard as the playful banter ended moments ago.

"Neda…" Nimura trailed off, making the Capsule leader look at him with confusion. "Do you think...the military has something to do with Tetsuo's disappearance?" The air was filled with dread after Nimura asked the question. Honestly, were they though? Because none of the hospitals or clinics had Tetsuo readmitted into their facilities. And this was a hunch Nimura had now which Kaneda knows all too well.

"Honestly, I wouldn't put it passed me. After a whole day of not finding Tetsuo, it obvious that the fucking military and shitty government is behind all this. And yet...our damn hands are tied in this situation." Kaneda responded, his eyebrows furrowed in thought. By now they were both on the floor by Nimura's door, sitting comfortably. 

"I hope we can find him soon…" Nimura looked down at his rosary in his hands. "I don't want shit to be a repeat of what happened with me."

"It's not. It definitely isn't that and it won't be like that ever again. Not with you, not with Tetsuo, not with any of our friends. I can promise you that." Kaneda states with a determined and firm tone. One that made Nimura feel content and calmer as he looked at Kaneda.

With him saying that, he feels that he'll have a better chance of sleeping after hearing those words coming out of Kaneda's mouth. And...the mysterious outcome of what will happen tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really enjoy writing out Kaneda and Nimura's brotherly friendship, along with the trio of Kaneda, Nimura and Tetsuo. There will be more flashbacks and visuals of their friendship as well as Nimura friendships with the other capsules later on. You guys are all wondering where is Kazunari at the moment? Don't worry I have plans for him in the future chapters, it'll be a surprise. And Nimura sure has alot of hunches and feels like Tetsuo's disappearance is linked to something bigger. (Sadly he's right)
> 
> Chapter 13 will be released on Friday, and it'll be a filler chapter regarding a small surprise Nimura does before we go back into the school and Tetsuo's return in the chapter after that which is chapter 14.


	13. Appreciation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the hypertense chaos of last night, comes a new day of solemn and mystery. Nimura goes through his burdens of unable to find Tetsuo, and feels like a failure to keep his promise for Kaori. To cope, he draws something to ease his mind, and as he does that, he remembers what has to tell Kai about a new bike for a certain missing childhood friend.
> 
> What will await Nimura's day?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I sincerely apologize for not posting this chapter yesterday, as my job had me stay late night hours. But now chapter 13 is here! Like I mentioned in the end notes of my last chapter, this will be a filler chapter, as Tetsuo returns a week after his disappearance and after the onslaught in the canal between Kaneda, Nimura, Kei, Ryu, Takashi and the military. In the manga it actually says a week after the canal's destruction on a newspaper Yamagata was reading. But any enjoy and look for hidden, vague details as despite being a filler chapter, there's an interesting piece here.
> 
> I DO NOT OWN AKIRA. ALL CHARACTERS AND MATERIALS ARE OWNED BY OTOMO KATSUHIRO. OCS BELONG TO ME.

The events of last night were a horrible whirlwind of chaos, angst, shock, and in Nimura's case, slightly traumatic.

To think that a gang meeting pertaining to Tetsuo's whereabouts would lead to confrontation with the military and forces of the unknown alongside Kaneda, Kei, and Ryu was just phenomenal. And possibly a coincidence? There was a hidden message there. It was honestly scary to experience all of that at once. But the best friend talk with Kaneda before they went to sleep in their separate rooms helped the burgundy haired teen. It calmed him down and erased the tension.

Now, getting up from his bed, he stretched, getting the blood going in his limbs and making sure his body is agile and ready for the day. He's not sure what mysteries will await him today, but he's hoping it's the usual schedule...and hopefully the return of his best friend, Tetsuo. 

  
Sighing, he goes to the bathroom, splashes his face with water to wake himself up for his first period of class, which was in an hour and a half from now. Out of the entire Capsules, he's the first one to actually wake up for school, even if he hates the staff that's cultivating there. He puts his towel and fresh sets of underway along with a white t-shirt on the bed after stepping out, then proceeds to pick out his clothes. 

  
He decides on jeans, white sweater and white sneakers before taking his underwear, white shirt and towel to the bathroom. Once he takes off the shirt he slept in, he takes off the bandages on his forearm, then on his biceps and shoulders. He sees the smaller cuts on his forearms already healing up, a couple of them still taking time as they are deeper. He's glad there was no more blood. The cuts on his biceps however were still fresh. He isn't truly happy with the self harm he committed.

  
"Nice going, hurting yourself Nimura…" He mocked morosely, before shaking his head and jumping in the shower.

  
When he was done with his usual routine for his hygiene, bandaged his cuts again and brushed his teeth, he left the bathroom and changed into his clothes along with the white shirt he picked. He's not happy he has to do laundry later considering his clothes from last night being drenched with filthy brown sewage water, and after he just washed his biker outfit and gloves from Tetsuo's blood the night of the accident. He wasn't expecting this turn of events. He left his dorm apartment and locked the door. He's sure that Kaneda, Yamagata, Kai and the rest aren't up, as they would be up probably later on, when they would have 15 minutes just to get to their classes.

  
Nimura usually has class with the gang in every period. Except one, his science class. Unlike the rest of his biker comrades he has very high grades in the school, making him one of the smartest in the institution. Because of that, he had been placed in an AP living environment class that he gets twice a week. And today happened to be Thursday and it's for first period. He never decided to take that class as it wasn't his decision, so he already knew that this was the work of the principals. They would try any sneaky method to separate and break ties between Nimura and the gang, which ultimately failed considering he has every class with the gang members. The good thing he is happy about that class is that he has Kaori with him, so at least he isn't alone. 

  
His thoughts were in motion, alot of things he experienced in the past months to now had actually affected him. From getting kidnapped, to getting tortured, to being hospitalized, the talk with Dr. Nakamura, the violent aggression with the clowns after the failed surprise attack, Tetsuo's accident, and now...the run in with Kei, Ryu, Takashi, and the military. He knew his life wouldn't be a normal one the moment Kaneda started a gang, bringing him, Tetsuo and the rest in it, but he wasn't expecting this type of crazy after all the things that happened, minus battling the other biker gangs. 

  
Last night was a wake up call. It was a sign of something, or rather a very big event is going to happen soon. What it is he doesn't know, but he knows that it is the calm before the tsunami strikes, and he and his friends are sitting ducks. 

  
'But those _two_...they were...no nevermind.' Nimura erased any tense thoughts he had in his mind, and realized he was in front of the dystopian and crumbling institution that was his school. He walked up the steps and headed straight to the entrance, ignoring the noise and light chatter around him in his usual 'dandere' attitude, as Kai would call it. He didn't eat breakfast in his apartment when he left, he wasn't thrilled to eat the bland breakfast they make in school.

  
"Grilled synthetic fish with cucumber, radish, eggs, and steamed rice." Nimura read the serving menu for today's breakfast. He's quite honestly surprised at the additional stuff they added, but the taste of synthetic fish was exhausting and becoming unpopular as he eats it everyday of the week in school. And the idea of drinking canned coffee for the past 2 months since some dumbass broke the coffee machine taunts him, because it was basically coffee in a can kept in cold temperatures and it didn't taste too well.

  
So he resorts to drinking water with his breakfast after receiving his food. He took a spoonful of his rice and the side dishes, ignoring the fish completely. After taking a sip of his water, he takes out his drawing book and pencil, and as the tip of the pencil touches the paper he starts to draw whatever to ease his mind. He drew with his pencil, paying no mind to the endless chatter and gossiping in the chaotic cafeteria.

  
As he hasn't realized until recently, that drawing was a form of coping. The coping method to help with whenever he was feeling stressed, had endless thoughts, nervous, or his PTSD coming back to haunt him. Drawing it out, based on whatever the lines and sketches he makes, turns into something creative. For 30 minutes he was so invested in his drawing that when someone tapped him, he was startled at the intervention but looked to see it was Kaori, with a confused expression.

  
"Hi Nimura, are you okay?" Kaori asked as she was going to sit across from him. Nimura sighs in content before glancing his head to her.

  
"Yes I'm fine. Just doing a hobby of mine. Class starts in 20 minutes I guess? So I'm doing something to cope with time." Nimura replied, admiring the drawing he made. When Kaori looked at Nimura's drawing, it was...a boy. A child...looking between the ages of 8 and 9, with straight short hair with bangs, narrowed eyes, and clothes that appear white based on the pencil's drawing.

  
"That drawing is beautiful. You are a good artist Nimura, known to draw out bikes and cityscapes with lively elements and color." Kaori commented, mesmerized by the drawing of the boy Nimura displayed. The burgundy haired teen rubbed his neck in awkwardness from the compliment but acknowledged it.

  
"Do you have a name for him?" Kaori asked, pertaining to the child. In the drawing. Nimura looked at the drawing, and seeing how the child he drew reflects his color, vagueness, and purpose, he already thought of the name that invaded his mind.

  
" _ **AKIRA**_ is his name. It means bright, intelligent, and clear in Japanese. It represents the child here completely and the bright aura he shines upon others." Nimura said, and the mentioning of the name brought up memories of last night, when Ryu thought Takashi was mistakenly Akira, and the same applied for Masaru. Then again, he didn't know who Akira was or how he really looked like. So he drew what came to mind and the meanings of the name while he drew it out.

  
"Oh...the name alone is unique and benevolent. It stands out compared to other names." Kaori mused out, as her face was in thought about said name. Nimura remembered something related to drawing, and it was that he had to tell Kai that he wanted to get a new bike, rather a bike from the junkyard where Kai's connection is at. A bike to be rendered useful and refurbished for Tetsuo...that's right...where is he? What goddamn hospital do they have him at?

  
Several minutes in, he looked to Kaori, who was eating her food at the moment, not paying attention to the ruffians being rowdy in the cafeteria.

  
"Kaori...are you feeling okay?" Nimura asked her, and she glanced at him in slight surprise before a small smile was on her face. But the smile was forced.

  
"Yes I'm fine, just feel dazed and spaced out." Kaori replied back. It didn't make Nimura comfortable to know and see just how much she is going through at the moment. He casted his head down, feeling guilty and sad. Sad because he didn't catch up to Tetsuo and save him from the accident and prevent his critical injuries, and with the military showing up that time only raised his suspicions that they have something to do with Tetsuo's disappearance considering the fact that they were after Takashi, and he was there on the highway and caused Tetsuo's bike to explode, and after he disappeared is when they showed up. It raised bigger questions and suspicions regarding last night's events, and his stomach began to pool with dread, feeling small pains there.

  
"I'm sorry." Nimura huffed out, unable to look Kaori in the eyes. Kaori turned her head up to see his face down, burgundy bangs covering his eyes.

  
"Why are you saying sorry?" Kaori asked, her tone changed to concern. 

  
"I'm...sorry that I couldn't back my promise up to find Tetsuo. I had looked everywhere in Neo-Tokyo, every hospital, every clinic, and none of them had Tetsuo as a patient. If I had caught up to him and saved him from that acci-!" Nimura jumped a little as he felt Kaori's smooth hand on top of his own.

  
"Please don't blame yourself for something you couldn't control," She started off, her voice pleading with help to ease the tension. "It wasn't your fault that it happened. You had no idea and no way of knowing something like that accident was going to happen. I love Tetsuo with all my heart and fiber of my being as you care for him like a best friend and brother would. We both are going through the same pain, as well as Kaneda. But don't blame yourself for an action you couldn't control. It wasn't your fault." Kaori explained, her voice pleading and worried for the things Nimura said. It made the burgundy haired teen look at the brunette in surprise.

  
"Tetsuo has told me how you would doubt yourself and hate yourself for things you have no control of or for outcomes that could've been fixed. You're a compassionate and bright person than you realize Nimura. Tetsuo wouldn't want you beating and hurting yourself emotionally, and neither would Kaneda. As sad as I am, I know Tetsuo will be back soon. I know it, I sense it too. So please do not blame yourself, Nimura." Kaori continued as she squeezed his hand slightly, her eyes looking into Nimura's in comfort.

  
It made the burgundy haired teen content and warm inside. Those thoughts of guilt and negativity completely pushed away as he took in her words, and it actually helped him. Now he wonders why he nicknames her his 'sister'. And how Tetsuo maintains his relationship with the shy yet passionate and angelic soul in front of him. She is the light to his darkness as he is the darkness to her light. And the fact that Tetsuo says to Nimura he sees a future with her months ago, makes him realize just how good things are right now. Everything will return to normal once Tetsuo returns. If they keep low and manage to do their usual shenanigans at night without getting apprehended by the police or the military, it'll be back to the way it should be. Then again, there's something else that he also has to take care of solely on his own if he wants it to be normal again. 

  
He looks to Kaori again, and a small curve of his lips going upward made the brunette shocked. Even if it was a ghostly smile, she had never seen Nimura smile before, ever. So for her to see this sight made her feel as if she was floating. Nimura's smile had a bright feeling to it, something mysterious, yet benevolent at the same time. It made her feel happy that he was smiling, the same way she feels when Tetsuo flashes her a smile or his confident smirk.

"Arigato Kaori. I feel less anxious and down after giving me this pep talk. It makes me open up for more things I could do. A surge of hope. Honestly...I'm glad I met you that day when I was with Tetsuo. It means alot to meet new people my friends meet, and that I get introduced to, and that are included in my circle." Nimura concluded, his eyes lit up in content as Kaori's expression softened.

  
Before she could reply, a static buzzing sound came from the intercom above. _ **"Attention all students, first period of class will begin in 10 minutes. All students will need to head to their designated classes after the bell rings. Failure to do so will result in lateness and uncooperation."**_ The person behind the intercom announced. Judging by the voice it was no doubt the principal

  
"It's best if we head to class now as to not be on the principal's bad side." Kaori said, as she got up waiting for Nimura. Said teen put his drawing in a folder before putting it in his bag, then taking his half eaten breakfast and throwing it in the trash.

  
"Heh. I believe I'm already on their bad side since yesterday." Nimura chuckled, which made Kaori glimpse at the burgundy haired teen.

  
"What happened?" She asked. Nimura kept a blank look on his face as he stared straight ahead.

  
"I told them off after they tried to get me to sever my ties with Kaneda, Tetsuo and the gang. All because I had very good grades and am intelligent, where the gang are a bad influence towards me and my social development. They don't know what I went through back at the orphanage so what they were telling me was utter blasphemy." Nimura answered, hoisting his bag up his shoulder again as they walked.

  
"That's very...sneaky of them to do. But then, the staff here have been always doing things under the table. I overheard a conversation involving between the AP teacher and the vice principal was the reason for me being selected in the class was so that my relationship with Tetsuo would be severed, and that I'd be away from his influence." She admitted, rubbing her ruffled hair. Nimura's expression was shock. So this class wasn't even given to her by choice, but was to try and break up her and Tetsuo? The staff here are shady and full of shit.

  
As they got to the classroom door, Nimura decided to open it and let Kaori in first, which she obliged.

  
"Are you not going to meet up with Kaneda and the Capsules?" Kaori asked, usually Nimura would meet up with them before.

  
"I can see them next period. Besides we have the same classes for the rest of the period. So I'll be meeting up with them after." Nimura responded as they went up the mini stairs to their seats. Kaori simply nodded as she put her bag on her desk as Nimura sat down. 

  
Waiting for their AP class to begin was fine as long as Kaori was with him. Otherwise he would have easily just isolated himself further from everyone else.

  
AP living environment was most times very annoying, especially having to wait for their instructor, whatever his name is.

  
~~KAISUKE~~

  
The end of school hours…

  
The whole day was boring. Aside from spending his class time with the gang, the teachers were just on their cases today for the loud chatter. Bitchin about how loud they were in one class when the entire class was fucking loud. It's not their fault that most of the classes have rowdy idiots. 

  
But all of the stupid petty shit happening here, he feels better with Kaneda, Nimura, Yamagata and some of the gang here. It's always a good feeling with his friends around in his classes, and he's glad that he's with them in almost every class. Except today's a little different, and the reason why is because Tetsuo has yet to return. And while the gang are with each other right now, the disappearance of Tetsuo still lingers in the cores of their minds. Especially Kaneda and Nimura as Kai can observe.

  
Don't get him wrong, Tetsuo is his friend and he cares a whole lot about him since it was him that helped him around the Capsules while Nimura continued to recruit and are both mechanics for fixing bikes as they co found their makeshift mechanic shop. But he knows that Nimura and Kaneda are hurting since they knew him longer. Even if they keep a very low profile with their emotions they're still hurting.

  
So when the final bell rang and Nimura suggested he and Kai go look for a bike in good condition from one of Kai's connections, the teen didn't have to be asked twice as they went to the parking lot.

  
"I figure that when Tetsuo returns, I want to have a bike for him refurbished, modified and ready for him so we can ride out like we always do." Nimura explained beside Kai. 

  
"I guess someone is gonna have to sacrifice in going without their bike if they want to bring back the one to be fixed." Kaneda snorted, walking beside Nimura.

  
"I'll be the one to-"

  
"It's alright Mura I'll be the one to hop on your bike in order to get the bike for Tetsuo." Kai interjects Nimura, to which the burgundy haired teen sported a blank look, then just nodded.

  
"Hope you two could find something good and that it works in good condition." Yamagata chimed, as he began to separate with Kuwata, Watanabe, and Takeyama. Kaneda turned slightly before waving his hand out to Nimura and Kai. 

  
"Be careful out there. We'll be in the dorms probably doing our shenanigans until you guys get back." Kaneda spoke out. Nimura gave a thumbs up.

  
"We'll be back soon! And don't worry me and Mura is definitely gonna find a good working bike!" Kai shouted back as he was in bike of Nimura's bike with his helmet on, before the burgundy haired teen drove off.

  
The junkyard to which Kai has a certain someone overseeing wasn't far. Rather a 15 min ride from their school, and since it was in an underdeveloped part of Neo-Tokyo, there were no pedestrians or cops passing by for these illegal deals. As Nimura drove the two of them to the entrance of the junkyard, Kai got off the purple bike, taking off his helmet before putting it on the back of the bike. He went to the stand to where his acquaintance is at while Nimura turns off the ignition, placing his shades on his head as he follows Kai. 

  
"Yo! How's the business flowing, Kenji?" Kai shouted over to the person who was managing the junkyard under the pretense of business. Said man had slicked back black hair, light skin and brown eyes, wearing a light gray jacket, white shirt, jeans and black and white sneakers.

  
"It's going well. I'm guessing you two are here to find seemingly broken down bikes." The young man who appeared to be no older than 20 stated.

  
"Yep. One of our buddies from the gang got seriously injured and his bike was destroyed as well. So when he returns we want one to be fixed and ready for him." Kai added, his business casual wear made it much like a business atmosphere. Nimura was simply looking the other way while hearing the conversation. 

  
"You guys are in luck today then, I just received a whole shipment of soon to be scrapped bikes within this week. 12 of them to be exact." Kenji claimed, then leading the two biker teens deeper into the field of rusted scrap metal parts. Kanji stopped and shows the row of rusted bikes, each with a different, intricate design, however broken down and rusty it looks.

  
"Pick what you feel is good here. All of them work for sure, but of course it's gonna need newer parts and repairs." Kenji said, as Kai and Nimura look through the long row of motorbikes. While some looked western, others were electric and Japanese made. Both teens were honestly stuck on what bike to choose for Tetsuo as the bike he originally had was a mix of electricity and gas. Plus it was homemade in Japan. Nimura however looked at the second to last bike and saw the unique parts and appearance it had. It was sleek and modern in design, the metal was slightly rusted over and it has durable tires that could last months, a suspension on it, black leather seats. The motorbike was beautiful, what dumbass would throw this unique bike away? Kai looked to where Nimura was staring and followed his line of sight.

  
"Whoa...that bike is sexy. I mean look! It hasn't fully been coated over with rust, the tires are in excellent condition! Plus, the exhaust pipes looks customized!" Kai shouted with fascination and gleam at the bike, while Nimura looks in amusement.

  
"Ah yes. This bike was actually the recent one I got from some guy who decided to get rid of it for a car he bought. Waste of money and parts on his part." Kenji piped up.

  
"This is the one we'll take. It's definitely the good one out of the bunch here." Kai declared, a proud smirk plastering his face.

  
"Heh, it'll be sold to you, but being that of it's unique design and is still pretty useful, it's gonna cost you alot-" Kenji's words were cut off as a wad of yen was given to him in his hand.

  
"We'll take it, no questions asked." Nimura interjected with a expressionless look, making Kenji dumbfounded for Nimura's bluntness and the amount of cash given to him. 

  
"Uh sure! Yeah it's yours. Sheesh Nimura you sure don't like to play around with business do ya?" Kenji asks, stuttering as he counted the money, turning out to be more than what he was going to set the motorbike's price for.

  
Nimura shrugged nonchalantly before he and Kai left with the bike. The latter waving his hand out to his acquaintance with bike in tow.

  
"The arrival of dandere Nimura has returned. Hah you sure surprised Kenji with that amount. Hey how much you be stashing Mura?" Kai asked, connecting the wires to the bike they had got. Nimura put his shades back on, before turning on the ignition to his bike, making an electronic roar rumble to life.

  
"While I maybe The Capsules second in command, I also tend to do the most responsibilities in the gang. That'll be recruiting, leadership, scouting, and saving our funds for the gang. I have alot of money stashed away for our gang, my personal cash in a separate stash." Nimura indicated. Kai got the helmet from the backseat of Nimura's bike.

  
"You really know how to handle things for us Nimura. It's no wonder you're the odd one out. You're the brains of the gang, you manage the group with a firm grip when Kaneda is MIA, saving funds in case of things like this, and you really watch over us like the family we are. Honestly, I truly admire your loyalty and selflessness in the gang, your unique and calm attitude. You were the first person I made in the gang alongside Yamagata, and I really appreciate you for who you are and what you do to everyone in the gang, Mura." Kai says, a smile fledged on hia face as he admitted the good things his burgundy haired friend does.

  
Nimura was moved by this statement. To be very truthful, Nimura doesn't think his actions and the good things he does would have an affect to the Capsules. In his childhood, before meeting Kaneda and Tetsuo, all his life he thought he would be a nobody. He thought he would be scum, walked on top of by other ignorant people in this corrupt and pessimist society. He thought that would be his life. But it all changed when he met Kaneda and Tetsuo, and those two brightened his world and vision, no longer making it stale and bland, replacing it with lively and optimistic values. Those two influenced him heavily to the point he will move heaven and earth for those two. And as the gang was on it's early stages of formation, his field of loyalty and selflessness extended to Yamagata, Kai, and later the rest.

  
Nimura looked to Kai with a small...smile. And Kai felt like his eyes were getting blurry because of how peaceful and bright that smile is. Nimura never smiles, like _NEVER_. So seeing him smile was a rare sight to see. A once in a lifetime. 

  
"Thanks Kai. It...it really means alot to me of how appreciated you feel, of how appreciated the guys feel, of my actions and good deeds to the gang. It means so much." Nimura replies calmly, the small smile still on his face. Kai returned with a smile and thumbs up.

  
"No problem Mura. Just remember, we're all family. And family sticks out for one another." Kai concludes. He starts the bike which purrs out a mediocre rumble, before the duo drive down the road Capsules style.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a nice, sappy ending, a showcase of friendship between Nimura and Kai. And also that moment between him and Kaori. It justifies that despite Nimura's bland and neutral attitude, he is very caring, selfless and compassionate, yet he is a dork at not knowing those traits of his. Nimura is very caring to go as far as to get Tetsuo a new bike for when he returns. Next time on Chapter 14, marking Kaneda's comedy moment, Tetsuo's return which will be a surprise and lowkey emotional for Nimura. But also a surprise in the beginning for our burgundy haired teen.


	14. The Unexpected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A week after the events of going against the military and the forces of the unknown... Tetsuo has still yet to return. And as Nimura is going through this sorrowful whirlwind alongside the Capsules, his past trauma isn't done haunting and taunting him. And while that continues to add onto Nimura's headaches, a certain raven haired teen comes back into the picture, his thoughts lingering on what he is feeling right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Quarantine here is kicking my butt right now alongside various assignments and online quizzes. So I am going to update this fanficition with chapter 14 right now, then update my two other fanfics over the weekend before going on a week hiatus to catch up with two of my classes. I am very sorry for inconveniences this may cause but I will not abandon my stories here as they mean too much to me. 
> 
> But chapter 14 is out! A mix of whump, angst, emotion" and comedy relief.
> 
> I DO NOT OWN AKIRA. ALL CHARACTERS AND MATERIALS ARE OWNED BY OTOMO KATSUHIRO.  
> OCS BELONG TO ME.

1 week later

The bright orange sun was rising high in the sky of Neo-Tokyo, the day beginning to venture through as the city was bustling with congestion, pollution, and breakneck pace. But to a certain, intelligent burgundy haired biker, and a group of delinquents, they had to begrudgingly get up for a failing school with a shady system.

Nimura yawned as he stretched in his bed, before sitting up right and staring at the wall in front of him, focused on his rather vintage alarm clock. Which happened to be 25 minutes before the alarm rings. 

'I set my alarm clock to wake me up at 7:30. Instead...I wake up 25 minutes before the alarm rings. This has been happening everyday now for school. I don't feel like getting up to turn off the alarm...yet, If I don't...it won't stop ringing when it goes off. Ah...this is difficult to think about.' Nimura contemplated, very tired and careless at the moment since honestly, school was ridiculous to him with the shit the staff pull, and it makes him irritated when they, especially the principals 'favor' him over everyone else because of his excellent grades.

What took 5 minutes to just think of what to do, Nimura slowly got out of his bed with such laziness and walked up to his alarm clock, setting it off. He went to the bathroom to splash cold water on his face to wake himself up and do his routine. He puts a black shirt, black underwear and towel on the toilet lid before removing his other articles of clothing and then his rosary on top of his new clothes to wear before heading into the shower.

After doing his hygienic routine in the bathroom and drying himself, he got himself dressed and left the dorm apartments. He made sure to take his rosary with him too and put it on his neck. While it wasn't hot outside to say the least, there was alot humidity in the air, which would only increase greatly in the afternoon.

Nimura was just a few blocks away from the Eighth district vocational school, dazing out in his usual attitude. However he felt a harsh push from the shoulder, startling him.

"Pardon me for being so rude." A croaky, rugged, dry voice called out, feigning out an apology as the clicks of dress shoes walked away.

"It's not-!" Nimura stopped himself from talking. His blood ran cold at the voice that invaded his ears. It sounded so familiar and recognizable, yet so foreign, malevolent, and dark. Goosebumps traveled all across his body as his spine felt the coldest chill ever. Eyes widened, breathing stopped, he turned behind him, to see a figure in a brown suit walking away with a suitcase. His head was covered by a brown hat, with the white hair sticking out on the sides and from the back. 

'That was...no no no no no. That's not him. It's not Kazu-that man. Not him. NOT HIM. My mind is doing flips right now.' Nimura's thoughts were causing a war inside his brain, each thought more extreme than the other. His hands were shaking, one clutching the rosary so tight that it began to rattle. No matter what his brain tried to tell and reassure him, his nerves and gut instincts were being more honest than his own brain. Instantly he walked faster to the school, trying to control the crumbling nerves with a neutral expression. As he passed by rowdy ruffians and other random delinquents, he made a bee line for the bathroom.

Just a few steps away, he decided to run inside the empty and dirtied bathroom, then heading into a bathroom stall and locking the door. Nimura continued to shake, his hands unable to remain calm as he was overanalyzing the person that purposely bumped into him. How that voice was just exactly like Kazunari. Why was he in the area? Was he spying on him? Does he-

'Stop it, Nimura. Your mind's probably playing tricks and hallucinations on you. Your trauma is putting you into this high alert mode. Stay calm...you can't go to the courtyard meeting Kaneda and the gang like this. He'll definitely not let this rest. Just...just breathe...count backwards.'  
His mind was slowly coaxing and resonating the once panicked and petrified thoughts that ravaged the intellectual mind of Nimura. For the next 5 minutes of breathing calmly and keeping himself composed and in check, he unlocked the door of the stall and looked in the disgustingly stained mirrors of the boys bathroom, which reflected the dirtied tiles and crude graffiti. 

"Keep it together Nimura. Already starting the day off bad. Already looking pale from that near panic attack. If Kazunari wanted to kill me, he would have done that time he kidnapped me." Nimura monologues lowly to his reflection. But then just after he says that, another thought, which annoyingly entered Nimura's brain which is now tired of thinking already.

'Why didn't he kill me…? Why did he brutally tortured me and 'left' me for 'dead'?' And sadly, Nimura couldn't do nothing but leave that though unsolved.

~~KAZUNARI~~

The man laughed to himself quietly as he walked into a remote part of the neighborhood. To think that the burgundy haired brat is still alive and kicking is astounding. Yet he was also expecting that. 

"Hah...Nimura...Nimura...Nimura, here I thought you will be dead from all the cuts, stabbing, and tweaking I did to you with all my precious tools. The gruesome memory of it only excites my blood more to find out all about you Nimura." The psychotic male muses, fathoming over sais burgundy haired teen.

He continues walking down the alleyway, to which a man like him in his attire shouldn't be walking in this part of Neo-Tokyo. But he wasn't afraid to face some muggers and addicts, better yet kill them. He took out a blood colored vile from his suit pocket and looked at it with admiration. 

"I'm glad that I was able to take a sample of your blood...although I was hoping for you to die...yet at the same time, expect you to live. It is very frustrating for me to not have both. It's a shame I couldn't get to your family though…" Kazunari trailed off, mocking his family and their 'disappearance'.

"But now Nimura...we will be seeing each other very soon." Kazunari added, a sharp and malicious expression staring straight into the distance.

~~TETSUO~~

Being outside felt so...weird to him right now. He felt like he hadn't moved his legs in ages. Then again, being held custody by those 'doctors' were exasperating and yet peculiar.

What the fuck did they do to him in that medical facility? The tests they did to him, it wasn't an ordinary test like blood getting taken out or getting a physical. They were like hammering all over his skull. What were they doing to him? And the fact that they did it forcibly to him made his blood boil.

Why did he feel so powerless? Why did he feel weak? Did he always feel like a stepping stone to everyone? A meek, useless and weak kid who could be pushed around by arrogant and snobbish assholes? What was it like to tower over people with power? 

These were thoughts that made Tetsuo's brain scavenge for answers, or a resolution in a way. He felt tired of bullshit being thrown at him. Tired of being weak. Tired of Kaneda and the gang treating him like a runt except a certain someone. He wanted to do something about it, wanting a change. But, he is still pushing forward, hiding all these emotions of anger, spite, resentment, and sadness in a mask. But he realizes that this mask that he wears on his face will soon crumble to pieces, unveiling all the pent up emotions and anger he's held in for so long, waiting for it to blow like an active volcano on the verge of exploding.

"What a fucking mess...I sure hope that this day doesn't get any fucking worse because I will not be dealing with any bullshit." Tetsuo muttered, his tone cranky and on edge as he spat on the pavement.

He reached the steps of the vocational training school, his scowl prominent as ever despite looking fatigued and sulky. He had to go to the damn principal's office to announce his return at the school before going to his class.

~~NIMURA~~

"Mura? Hey Mura! You alright man? You look really spaced out…" The sound of Yamagata's voice reached Nimura's ears, cue the loud and rowdy classroom they were in. Nimura glanced at the taller teen with his known blank expression.

"Yeah I'm fine, just daydreaming. And not bothering to hear what this teacher is explaining." Nimura replied. While it was half the truth, Nimura has still been internally on edge as Tetsuo has yet to return for a WEEK. And if that wasn't enough, the aura of the Capsules this week had felt mellow. Kaneda...keeping a low profile, gave out melancholic and sorrow aura, and Nimura could sense it very well. 

As a matter of fact, Kaneda hasn't said anything this morning other than greeting him and the gang. And while he is aware Kaneda rather handle situations on his own, he knows deep down he is hurting inside. Nimura wishes that Kaneda had the will to confide his troubling thoughts with.

Yamagata pats Nimura's back as a sign of acknowledgement, before he began to pull out a newspaper and went to read over results, all which the burgundy haired teen is far too familiar with. Shaking his head, he glanced towards the space dead ahead, not paying attention to his surroundings.  
The thought of Tetsuo's disappearance lingered his mind like a hawk circling around the area for it's hiding spot. A memory came flashing at him.

(Flashback)

"Honestly I don't get this stupid class." The loud arrogant voice of Kaneda spoke, his hands up in irritation as he looks at the assignment before him. Tetsuo let out a scoff at his childhood friend's struggle.

"You don't pay attention in class Kaneda. How do you expect to know to solve this?" Tetsuo remarks. Kaneda gave him a glare.

"Look who's talking. You barely know this shit and you wanna act smart, Tetsuo?" Kaneda challenged, a sly grin now plastered on his face. The two childhood friends were now sending each other playful witty remarks and banter, while Kai and Yamagata ended up laughing from it. Nimura was in the middle of his childhood friends, unfazed by being in their war of witty remarks. Of course he was gonna join in on their banter.

"Maybe you two should both shut up and pay attention in class if you wanna learn how to solve those problems." Nimura cut them off, facing the board as the careless teacher instructing the class. Both Kaneda and Tetsuo looked at Nimura slightly shocked at Nimura's quip to them. Kai and Yamagata doubled over laughing, adding more noise to the already rowdy classroom.

"Who were you talking to like that?" Kaneda asked, a smug tone taking it's place while Tetsuo scoffed, eager to hear his burgundy haired friend's response.

"You two complain that you can never understand the work then wonder why you fail, at the same time not caring whether you guys pass or fail. But then again you guys shouldn't care since it's not that important right?" Nimura responded, insinuating the irony of not caring about school yet they still want to pass. An amused look was on his face as Kaneda clicked his tongue at Nimura's smart mouth, while Tetsuo gave him a challenging and smug expression, before flicking Nimura in the ear.

"Oops I'm sorry Mr. Smartass. Would you like a band aid for that? Or a golden medal?" Tetsuo jokes, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Probably both. Since he got so much of a smartass mouth in that uppity brain of his." Kaneda answered, his fist giving Nimura a head nuggie. Nimura let out a huff from his friend's playful banter.

"Idiots. I'm over here trying to help ya and here you two are abusing your childhood friend. That hurts." The burgundy haired teen jokes back, which earned a couple of chuckles and laughs from them.

"I'll help you guys out, make sure you'll pay attention." Nimura added, to which both Kaneda and Tetsuo relented. 

"What happens if we don't though? Because I heard a 'or else' in that tone." Yamagata asked, eager to know.

"Probably curse us out or give us the silent treatment." Kai chimed with laughter.

"Come to think of it, I never heard Nimura curse, or say the word 'fuck'. He never swore in his life." Kaneda realized, as the burgundy haired teen narrowed his eyes.

"I've said words like 'shit', or 'asshole', so I have swore before." Nimura answered back. The raven haired boy beside him scoffed at that.

"But you never cursed though. So those technically didn't count." Yamagata quipped back. Nimura huffed out as now they are gonna try something now.

"Pretty soon Mura, pretty soon you're gonna end up cursing one day." Kaneda said it like as if he could see the future before his eyes. Tetsuo placed his hand on Nimura's shoulder, making the latter look at him.

"One day we're gonna make you say fuck. One day." Tetsuo stated, a smirk on his face.

"And you guys will be waiting for that to happen." Nimura replied back, before getting the two of them to at least do a few problems.

Like Nimura would allow himself to curse, they would have to try extra hard to do that.

(Present)

"Nimura can you stop daydreaming for once? What's going on with you? Are you ok?" The voice of Kaneda spoke to him, rendering him out of his flashback. Nimura blinked before looking into the onyx eyes of The Capsule leader. But before any words could come out of Nimura's mouth, a loud stern voice shouted over the classroom.

"WHO'S THAT BEHIND THE NEWSPAPER!?" The teacher boomed irritably at Yamagata, who had been looking over the race results behind The Japan Times.

"Who wants to know?" Yamagata asks, sarcasm laced into his tone. It caused the teacher to huff in frustration.

"Yamagata-san, I am trying to conduct a class here!" The teacher shouted, scolding Yamagata for his rude behavior.

"And I'm trying to read yesterday's race results! So could you please keep it down!?" Yamagata sneered as he got up swiftly from his chair, newspaper on the table. "You'd think I was creating a disturbance or something, with the way you're carrying on!" He chided at the instructor. Nimura found this outburst to be interesting and entertaining.

"A negative attitude Yamagata-san, who disturbs everyone." The teacher states, pointing a finger at the tall teen. "You should act more like Hasegawa-san who has excellent grades and social development." The teacher added salt to the wound, and Nimura bit the insides of his cheeks in annoyance and disgust for his name being called out. The damn work of the principals.

"That creep is pushing it." Yamagata growled, rolling his eyes at this man giving him a hard time.

"Everyone knows they can bust our chops as long as we're on probation." Kaneda implies, and Nimura glances to the ebony haired boy being hunched over, fidgeting with something on a piece of paper with a pencil. 

"Why don't you just get off my case? And leave Nimura's name out of this!" Yamagata shouted back at the teacher. Nimura had been giving subtle looks at Kaneda from whatever discovery he was doing. So when the burgundy haired teen moved a little up, he saw Kaneda take apart a capsule...a very familiar looking capsule...looks like the one from that night.

He placed the grain contents of the pill on the paper and continued his investigation of uncovering this pill. He saw a teen pipe up from in front and whispered to Kaneda.

"Save that stuff for after school...and I'll forgive you for not sharing." The teen said slyly, trying to come off threatening to bargain a deal with Kaneda but coming out a little shaky.

"This isn't what it looks like!" Kaneda snapped back defensively, guarding the broken down capsule. Nimura eyed the teen as he continued to pester Kaneda. 

"What are you getting so upset for? It's not like the races are fixed or anything!" Yamagata yelled back, clearly irked by the teacher continuing to disturb him. Nimura gave his older brother figure a deadpan look at the lie he just told for his gambling habits.

"ARE YOU TRYING TO TELL ME THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH GAMBLING!?" The teacher fumed, screeching at how unacceptable and shocking this was. 

'The old fool is going to lose his voice like that from continuing to scream and smoke cigarettes like a stress reliever.' Nimura thought, as the yelling match continued. He then glances back at Kaneda, who was weakly coming up for an excuse for the teen who still was bothering him.

"Hey Kaneda give me some!" The teen said, his hand rising to grab what Kaneda is hiding.

"I already told you…" Kaneda struggled to say an excuse as he was hunching over. Nimura had enough of the pestering from that idiot, and surprised Kaneda by grabbing the numbskull's wrist tightly from taking the pill in Kaneda's hands.

The teen let out a light yelp at the rough grab, and looked to a calm yet menacing pair of black eyes, a pair of black eyes that belonged to Nimura.

"I'm not sure if your ears are clogged or what, but my friend is telling you to back off. If he doesn't want to share what he has in his hand, then that's his decision. Are we clear? Or do I have to check those ears for you my way?" Nimura said so calmly that the teen was shaking in fear and was gritting his teeth in pain because of how much pressure Nimura was applying to his wrist. He then let go and the teen held his wrist in his other hand.

"Y-yeah we're clear...it-it's probably cough medicine or somethin." The teen stuttered, turning around so quickly and not daring to look back again if he didn't want a menacing Nimura to hurt him. Kai was on the verge of laughing after he witnessed what Nimura just did, not to mention the ongoing bickering between Yamagata and the teacher.

"IF THAT FUCKING HAPPENS, YOUR TEETH IS GONNA BE OUTTA MOUTH!" Yamagata blared at the teacher, anger reaching new heights from the warning the latter gave him.

"SorrysirIgottago!" Kaneda declared so fast, saying the sentence in one word after rising up from his seat.

"Wh-wh-wh-what!?" Both Nimura and the teacher tripped over their word at Kaneda's statement, albeit Nimura was quieter. His childhood friend was going downstairs then out the door before closing it, ignoring the teacher's desperate pleas for Kaneda to get back in class and adding a whole chaos of wanting to leave the class from the other ruffians.

The teacher then turned directly at Nimura, which made the burgundy haired teen raise his eyebrows.

"Hasegawa-san, I'm entrusting you to go out and bring Kaneda back. After all you're one of the better students here." The teacher said, making the entire class quiet at that statement. Nimura cringed, feeling mortified and embarrassed. How dare the instructor call him out like that in front of EVERYONE? Now those random ruffians will start to speculate shit. 

Nimura got up, his bangs covering his eyes at how disappointed and embarrassed he felt for being called out, and simply opened the door of the class. Right on cue, the rowdy students began to call out.

"How the fuck he gets to go anywhere and we can't!?"

"This school is rigged and shows alot of favorites here!"

"You're so damn lucky! You're probably a teacher's pet that's why you get to go out!"

"HEY SHUT THE FUCK UP!!! DON'T DISRESPECT MURA LIKE THAT!!!" Both Kai, Yamagata, Takeyama, Kuwata and the rest of the gang were shutting the whole class up, defending their burgundy haired friend and comrade from scrutiny. He was grateful that his friends were having his back for this, but Nimura isn't happy that the school is literally favoring him over everyone else because of how good his grades were, his intelligence, and student ranking which he recently found out he was number 1, much to his displeasure. He truly hated the staff here.

Shaking his head, he went to look for his best friend. For some reason he had this hunch that Kaneda went to the doctor's office for that particular pill. So when he went to the corridor of where the medical office was at, there was Kaneda in the flesh knocking at the door before going inside. Nimura snuck up by the wall to overhear what the conversation was between Kaneda and most likely the student nurse.

"-But there's still something you could do for me." He heard Kaneda say. So when Nimura sneaked a look, he saw The Capsule leader hand over the pill on the desk.

"What's that?" The nurse asked, obvious confusion and curiosity lacing her voice.

"That's what I want you to find out." Kaneda quipped back. Nimura hid behind the wall again when the nurse turned straight ahead.

"Ummm...I think you should know…" The nurse trailed off hesitantly, and Nimura didn't like where this was going as she was going to say something that wasn't going to be repeated under any circumstances.

"...I think I might be pregnant." Was what the nurse answered. Nimura's face morphed into a grimace. He was astonished.

'After all the condoms I gave you, Tetsuo, Kai, Yamagata, and the rest of the gang, you decided to say screw this and go to war without a helmet? Kaneda what the hell?' Nimura wanted to facepalm, just frustrated at how reckless and careless Kaneda was with his sex life. 

"Hey Great! Can I watch you have it?" Kaneda responded back carelessly. Nimura was officially done with life. Seeing how this conversation wasn't important to him, he began to head back to class, dragging his feet across the floor with his hands in his jean pockets. He turned on the corridor to where his class is, face casting down to the floor.

"Kaneda why do you make such dumb decisions?" Nimura muttered out loud in the quiet hallway, not expecting anyone to answer.

"Because he's our dumbass of a friend who would fucking do shit like that." A very familiar voice replied back, making Nimura stop in his tracks. He looked up to see and his eyes widened in disbelief and surprise. In front of him was Tetsuo in the flesh. He was wearing his signature cyan jacket, beige pants, and blue iron boots. His head had a bandage wrapped around his head. Tetsuo sent a waving hand at the burgundy haired teen.

Without warning, Nimura lurched forward, running straight at Tetsuo, and before the latter could do or even think of anything, Nimura wrapped his arms around Tetsuo in a vice grip. He felt that if he didn't hug his childhood friend, he probably thought it was a hallucination. Tetsuo was sputtering in surprise at Nimura's reaction.

"Shit Nimura are you ok-"

"Holy fucking shit you're alive...you're fucking alive!" Nimura shouted, just utterly shocked at this because he hadn't seen him for a week. Nimura let go of Tetsuo before looking at him.

"Where were you Tetsuo? We were looking for you like crazy! What hospital were you even at? What did they even do to you there?" Nimura bombarded the raven haired teen with so many questions that Tetsuo couldn't even comprehend many of them. He was flabbergasted at how riled up and tense Nimura was.

"Do you...know how hard it was to...look for you throughout last week that I actually thought you were...dead?" Nimura said, his voice cracking, shutting his eyes as they felt misty and watery. This was new...his eyes never felt that before. His bangs were covering his eyes. All those feelings of negativity, melancholy, insecurity, and fright was overflowing, trying to leak it's way out of the teen. Tetsuo's face contorted to worry. For his burgundy haired friend to think that made Tetsuo realize just how horribly affected and traumatized Nimura was. He was already traumatized to what happened to him 6 months ago, and how bad he had to help him recover from that because of several jump scares and nightmares. But now this? No, Tetsuo didn't want Nimura to go through anymore trauma.

Tetsuo swung his arm around Nimura, before they walked slowly to their class. "Hey Mura, I'm alright. Most of my injuries were healed and patched up. So I'll be okay. Don't get all worked up and overwhelmed, I'm here now and I'm not going anywhere." Tetsuo said, his tone calm, trying to ease Nimura's tense and stressed mind. And while Nimura was still holding in those pent up negative emotions, it helped him...and the shitty morning and half day he once had was uplifted by Tetsuo's return.

"Heh I just realized something…" Tetsuo trailed off, which prompted Nimura to look at him. Tetsuo had a smirk on his face before he pointed at Nimura. "I finally fucking made you curse." He concluded, radiating a prideful aura. Nimura gave his friend the most deadpan look in his life.

"Seriously? You just came out the hospital, then me welcoming your return after a hellish week of not having you in the gang and that's what you realized?" Nimura remarked, just astounded by Tetsuo's memory of the deal of making him curse one day.

"Ha me and Kaneda were being serious about it and it finally happened!" Tetsuo laughed out loud, his arm off Nimura shoulder doubling over. It made Nimura's lip curve up just a tiny bit, and of course Tetsuo noticed. He was happy he made Nimura smile a bit and taking his mind away from the negativity he had earlier. "Come on, let's surprise everyone else." And the moment he said that, he slid the door open, revealing the two of them to the entire class and were awaiting the cries of shock, chaos and cheers towards them.

Well mostly Tetsuo. The burgundy haired teen was not expecting the unexpected today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much happened in this chapter huh? And Kazunari makes a small appearance again to haunt Nimura. Poor teen is going to go through alot in this fanfic thanks to the brute. And I had to write out a emotional and comedy ending between Nimura and Tetsuo. Like I said I enjoy writing out Nimura friendship with his childhood friends and this will continue to occur many times in the fanfic as our dandere teen cherishes this since he truly doesn't know what it feels like to have people close to him.
> 
> Next time on Chapter 15


	15. Little Moments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nimura's encounter with a horrifying figure from the past has him nearly suffering a panic attack before regaining control and sense of where he is at. And as school gets more mysterious, with Kaneda having this new pill that he remembered seeing last week on that night, it only piques his interest on it's origins.
> 
> The return of Tetsuo has left Nimura nearly emotional as his mind thought of the worst. But Tetsuo pulls him out of that dark light and makes a flashy return. 
> 
> But now, in these little moments, what is going on in a certain individual close to Tetsuo?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Guys! I am back and alive! I took a long week hiatus to catch up with my classes and online assignments. Now I am back in the game! While today I'll be posting chapter 15, I plan on posting chapter 16 tomorrow and a chapter on my bnha fanfic that is still up there. I have alot to post over the weekend.
> 
> This chapter will give insight on a certain relationship between two characters and how it goes deep for a brief moment in their bond. Enjoy!
> 
> I DO NOT OWN AKIRA. ALL CHARACTERS AND MATERIALS ARE OWNED BY OTOMO KATSUHIRO.  
> OCS BELONG TO ME.

"HOLY SHIT IT'S TETSUO!!!"

"HE'S ALIVE!!! HE'S ALIVE!!!"

"WE THOUGHT YOU WERE A GONER!!! WHAT HAPPENED!?"

"DAMN BUDDY YOU'RE ALIVE AND KICKING!!! WAIT LET ME GET KANEDA!!!" Over the cacophony of shouts and shocked cries at Tetsuo's return, Kai shouted in glee and happiness at his friend's return before the shorter teen sprinted off to find the Capsule leader.

"ALL OF YOU SIT DOWN THIS INSTANT!!! WE ARE IN A MIDDLE OF A CLASS!!!" The teacher roared in anger at this outburst, but his voice went on deaf ears to the group of ruffians surrounding Tetsuo.

"Man where the fuck were you!? I'm glad you're alive!" Yamagata yelled in content, ruffling Tetsuo's black hair, much to the teen's displeasure. Nimura had simply shook his head at the warming banter, it made him feel content that not only did one of his best friends returned, but also seeing Tetsuo smile. It made Nimura feel alot better that his friend was smiling, and even more when Kaneda sees this. His whole week was shitty. That insane night with the military, the failed search for Tetsuo all week, and the morning of bumping into Kazunari put Nimura on complete edge and trauma. It was a horrible morning. But seeing his ravenette friend's return...pulled him out of that tar like darkness of despair. Those troubling thoughts subsided as Tetsuo had come back from wherever he was held.

"TETSUO!!!" A familiar voice shouted out loud in the crowd. Tetsuo whipped his head around with warm eyes at his childhood friend.

"KANEDA!!!" Tetsuo yelled back in content, and Nimura could see the surprised, excited, and happy gleam in Kaneda's eyes, which in turn made Nimura's lips curve upwards. And he doesn't realize it either.

"PARTY TONIGHT!!!" Kaneda roared, fist going up in the air at the return of his friend. But Tetsuo however gave out a nervous expression from the declaration. "But I'm supposed to go to the hospital at seven-"

"Forget it!" Yamagata cut him off, not allowing his friend to leave again.

"Screw the hospital! We've got better drugs!" Kuwata shouted.

"And Plus, me and Nimura got a surprise for you, right Mura?" Kai announced to the ravenette before turning to Nimura...who was smiling for a split second before he snapped out of it when his name was called, and the 4 of them didn't miss Nimura's smile.

"Yeah we do. But Tetsuo…" Nimura trailed off to the teen, before closing the distance and putting his hand on Tetsuo's shoulder. "Go see Kaori when school is over." Nimura said lowly, only for the two of them to hear so the gang wouldn't coo at Tetsuo's relationship. 

"Oh shit...right." Tetsuo realized, a week of not seeing her and vice versa, made his heart throb painfully at that. His face contorted to melancholy after that. The rest of the gang looked at the two baffled, while the rowdy ruffians and angered cries of the teacher were echoing the entire class.

After class had sometime calmed down and was over, the reunified Capsule gang were about to leave the door to do their shenanigans until the celebration, but then a harsh voice blared out loudly.

"Hasegawa Nimura! We need to have a word." The teacher seethed, his expression spelling irritation all over it. The Capsules, especially Kaneda, Tetsuo, Kai and Yamagata looked heavily suspicious at the professional man, but Nimura glanced at his gang.

"I'll be out in a minute guys. I got this." Nimura said to relieve the thickening tension in the air. With reluctance, the gang went outside the class, leaving Nimura alone with the seedy instructor as Kai shut the door. What the two of them didn't know was The Capsules were outside the door, subtly listening on whatever conversation was going to unravel.

"Why do you need to have a word with me?" Nimura asked, a frown on his face.

"Hasegawa-san, being one of the better students here, I expected better from you. Instead of finding Kaneda-san, you did something else against my instruction and then joined those groups of hooligans surrounding one delinquent." The teacher scolded, an annoyed glare on his face. Nimura is so done with this favoriting bullshit.

"Well I couldn't find him, that's one. And two, that delinquent is one of my best friends. It'd be better if you act more professionally and say his name than to call him a negative term." Nimura quipped back, his respect for the elder wavering. 

"You don't seem to realize it huh Hasegawa-san? Your current ranking in this institution, your attendance, your grades, your reputation. Being around those delinquents will screw you over if you continue to stay by their side-" The teacher responded with a strict tone, but was cut off when Nimura scoffed harshly.

"Did both those principals make a deal with you in establishing this? Let me make myself clear...stop trying to place me on this high pedestal of elegance when I am just like every other student in his crumbling facility, stop favoriting me over everyone else because it's corrupted, and it's childish." Nimura berated the teacher, causing the man to sputter in shock. 

"You're starting to act like them now. The attitude, the talking back, it's uncouth of you...do you want to end up in reform school?" The teacher threatened, trying to make the burgundy haired teen succumb to this question. This simply didn't faze Nimura, but instead gave the instructor a challenging look of his own. 

"Go ahead. You can send me there. Oh wait a minute...you don't have that power to do so. And even if you did, those principals wouldn't want to send me there, and unfortunately they will try whatever method they can to favoritize me." Nimura responded, half heartedly amused by the teacher's offended look.  
"Now if you'll excuse me, I have to catch up to my friends." Nimura said, not letting the teacher make another response as he opened the door and slammed it behind him. He had his eyes closed and let out a puff of air. He knew he wasn't alone and he didn't had to turn his head to know who they were.

"You guys heard everything right?" Nimura asked the gang. Kaneda, Tetsuo, Yamagata, Kai and the rest replied with 'yes' and nods. Kaneda went up to his friend and patted his back.

"I'm fine guys. Just kinda surprised at how south shit went." Nimura answered, before anyone could ask if the second in command was alright.

"Are you sure, Mura?" Tetsuo asked, concerned at how much his friend seemed to be penting up.

"Yeah Tetsu, I'm positive. Let's just get out of here." Nimura replied with his friend's nickname. Nimura wasn't truly fine to be honest. But his emotions weren't important right now. Not to him. He didn't want to be a burden to his friends with that. Emotions could be easily controlled if he just stays cool headed.

~~KAORI~~

Later that day…

School had been...boring. Aside from the usual tough and rowdy crowds, littered and dirty classrooms. And while she was in her usual shy and introverted mood, she still wondered where Tetsuo was. She felt so bad for how stressed and down Nimura has been lately despite her words of encouragement last week when he said those things of self doubt. But the moment she heard of her boyfriend's return, her heart pounded in her chest, mood instantly rising up that he was okay.

She wanted to go and see him, she wanted to go and hug him for being missing within a week. But she knew that Tetsuo was most likely with his gang, reconnecting and hanging out with them at the moment. So Kaori got that idea out of her mind.

Even though she puts on this mask of composure and feigned happiness, deep down her emotions of despair are in the pool of her stomach, reverberating her internally as if it could burst any moment. While she's normally good at hiding her emotions and having control over them, this was something entirely different for her. It's a whole different experience for her, after all...Tetsuo is her first love. 

(Flashback - A year and a half ago)

She felt anxious, nervous, and scared. The institution she saw right before her very eyes was just another world for her. She has been to school before, but this...wasn't a school-like environment like the last school she attended which had been shut down due to financial issues.

Walking into the Eighth Vocational Training school, her nerves were sent high as she saw the type of people that lurked around the hallways. While she was used to the environment of Neo-Tokyo, she now had to deal with this type of atmosphere tenfold. Then again, what choice did she have? Her father was very ill, and she needed to have the education in order to survive and live in his miserable megapolis.

"Just act normal, and go through the whole day without any problems." Kaori whispered to herself, coping with the current situation she is in.

However, the universe had other plans for this saint of a girl that had been bestowed upon this school.

"Hey Yamagata chill the fuck ou- what the- HEY!!!" Right on cue, the shy girl felt a harsh push, another weight toppling her over and before she knew it, she fell to the stale tiles of the school. Her books fell out of her bag, along with her lunch.

"Oh shit…" One voice trailed off, baffled by what just happened.

"Look what you did Yama, your roughhousing with Tetsuo caused her to directly bump into that girl." A calm and stoic voice called out in the fray, pointing out the obvious. Kaori had gotten up just slightly, raising her head to see a teen with short black hair, tan skin, wearing a teal sweater, gray pants and black combat boots. She then glanced at her stuff, and her expression changed to dread when she saw her lunch and contents, splattered on the floor.

The teen, who she heard his name is Tetsuo, shook his head and then turned up to look at who he bumped into. Much to his and her embarrassment, they were looking at each other briefly, until Kaori looked away in awkwardness, before getting up and dusting herself off. Tetsuo had done the same, albeit slower.

"I...um…" The teen started off, then hesitated as he saw her stuff, and her lunch on the floor. For some reason, remorse and guilt gnawed at him. "I'm...sorry that-" 

"Let's get going before we get ourselves into something bigger." A teen wearing a red and white rugby shirt and was an inch taller than Tetsuo interjected, much to the latter's annoyance as he was being dragged away. The stoic looking teen didn't know if he should help the girl or leave, but Kaori saw him give a light bow, muttering a full apology before trailing behind a much taller teen. Sighing, Kaori felt very embarrassed and now sad. Her lunch now ruined, and had to be thrown away, she felt disappointed in herself to have something abnormal as this happen to her. 

Fixing herself up, she took her ruined lunch and threw it in a full trash can before heading to her class. Her day is now malevolent as ever, a cloud of melancholy hung over her for this bad start. And she would have most likely be in this mood…

Had it not been a certain outcome during lunch…

As she sat away from the crowd in one of the worn out tables, she remained herself, not trusting herself to start idle conversation with any of the ruffians over there.

"Hey…" A voice spoke to her. This startled the introverted girl as she craned her neck to see the same teen that bumped into her earlier. He had a paper bag with something inside of it.

Kaori, with obvious confusion plastered on her face, wanted to ask what was he doing here, but the raven haired teen beat her to it.

"I'm sorry that I...knocked down your lunch earlier…" The teen, who's name is Tetsuo, handed her a paper bag. Kaori took it with heavy reluctance. She didn't full trust it, yet her curiosity got the best of her. She looked inside of the paper bag, to find 4 onigiris inside. Her face changed to that of astonishment. This teen who she doesn't even know went out of his way to give her lunch.

"It's not much but it's something I thought last minute from what I had left over…" He trailed off, averting his eyes to the side. So the 4 onigiris were his…? And he decided to give it to her as apology even if it wasn't his fault?

"Are you sure...I mean I can give this back-" Kaori replies but the teen shook his head.

"No it's fine...um don't worry about it. I can find something else." The teen replied, still averting his eyes. Kaori was left baffled by this development and the display of generosity he showed her. "Erm...anyways I'll be outta your head." The teen concluded, and began to take a step away from her.

"Wait…" Kaori said before pausing in her sentence. The teen in question stopped and glanced back at her with confusion. Why did she tell him to wait? What made her mouth open to say that? But now she had to come up with an answer, or a question.

"What is...your name?" Her mouth slipped that out, and the feeling of nervousness and fright coiled in her body. She just literally asked a teen that only came by to give her something his name! Why? Even though she heard it from one of his friends, she didn't want to be as if she knew him. Was it because he's the first person to show kindness? What was the reason?

Tetsuo just looked in with his eyebrows raised. Why did this girl wanted to know his name? Usually he never introduces himself to people he doesn't know. He'll ignore strangers like the plague unless they are being recruited into the gang. But her? It's weird honestly because he felt his mouth move.

"Tetsuo...Tetsuo Shima. And what about your name?" The raven haired boy asked, wanting to know her as well. Kaori flinched a little when he asked her name.

"K-Kaori." She spoke with hesitance. Oh boy, she told a boy her name!

"Nice to meet you...Kaori. I'll see you...around I guess." Tetsuo replied back, before going down another direction.

Kaori stood there dazed at what just happened before her. She got to know a boy and vice versa. She couldn't believe a push led to that.

And that wouldn't be the last time she'll be seeing him...

(Present)

She walked down alone in the corridor, keeping her face straight ahead. She decided it's best to head back to the dorms and...well look at things she needed to take care of. She could see Tetsuo tomorrow-

"Kaori!" A voice called out, as footsteps came from behind the shy girl. She stopped with surprise as she turned around to that familiar voice. Behind her was Tetsuo coming towards her. She was astonished that he went to came looking for her. Did he had the same thoughts as her? To look for her after a week of not seeing each other?

"Tetsuo…" Kaori uttered out, still shocked at this outcome. Truthfully she is ecstatic at her lover okay and is well, and gleeful that he went out of his way to come and see her, which is something he doesn't do often. Tetsuo closed the distance between the two of them, but Kaori catapulted into Tetsuo's form, hugging him tightly...as he returned the embrace. Normally he wouldn't do this around others because he didn't want people, especially his friends to embarrass and bother him, calling him a softie and nice. He only does this when the two of them are alone.

"Thank god you're alive...I...I haven't seen you and after hearing the accident that happened to you. And I...I thought that I wasn't going to see you again." Kaori let out, her voice muffled yet wavering as the emotions she held in for long started to swell up inside her. She held back the tears that wanted to break free.

"Kaori, look at me." Tetsuo said softly, trying to ease the tension she was enduring at the moment. Very slowly she craned her neck up to Tetsuo's face, her eyes slightly watery. Seeing her cry made his gut drop in despair, his heart crack beat after beat. He never likes to see her in this state, it makes his heart drop and he doesn't want her to go through emotional pain that could shatter her. And sadly, he caused the very thing he was trying to protect her from.

"Kaori, I'm here, with you, and alive. I'm sorry I caused you emotional pain, I didn't think that was going to happen to me and be gone for a week because of that. I am sorry, but you don't need to worry anymore. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere." Tetsuo reassured her, as guilt and dread circled in his stomach. He emotionally hurt her from that accident, and now he wants to try to fix it. But instead Kaori just hugged him again tightly, wanting to spend time with him even if it was a small moment.

When they parted, and had calm down a little, they stood by each other's side, talking and enjoying each other's company. As minutes had passed by, Tetsuo cleared his throat.

"Me and the gang are going out to celebrate my return tonight. I'm supposed to go to the hospital tonight, but I'm gonna make the effort to be with them." Tetsuo said, prompting Kaori to look at him. She's honestly happy he is fine, but the hospital part on the other hand made her nervous…

"Is there a reason why they want you back?" Kaori asked, tone a little shaky from asking. Tetsuo glanced at her, and saw the worry in her eyes and expression, and of course Tetsuo realized he sent her in a frenzy. He held her hand in an affectionate instinct.

"It's probably another check up or discharge papers that they have. I promise I'll be back tonight. This time...I will be back tonight." Tetsuo clarified, his gaze not faltering from hers as the sun was setting, reflecting the orangish-reddish glows over their expressions. Kaori took in all of this information, processing it in her head. She was aware of the risks he took in the gang, she knew he lived a thrilling and dangerous lifestyle, but she also knew that he wouldn't lie to her, as the last time he said he would see her tonight wasn't really his fault. Because the times he would come to her, were the times she cherished. Because the love of her life wouldn't lie to her, and they both have alot of trust and confidence in each other for this relationship. How did she, a introverted, smart, shy and reserved girl like herself ended up with a bad boy, a gangster, yet introverted and passionate as he is? He wasn't like Kaneda, Yamagata and the others sans Nimura. Despite the delinquent and bad boy part, he doesn't lie, and not to her. Kaori looked up to him, a small smile plastered over her expression.

"I believe you Tetsuo. Please be careful out there." Kaori said to him. Tetsuo had a soft look on his face, but before any reply could be made, his name was called out not far from them.

"Hey Tetsuo-oh, sorry for the interruption, but the guys and I are waiting outside. We're about to get ready once Kaneda gets the stuff." It was Nimura, clad in his biker outfit. Tetsuo nodded to his friend while Kaori waved slightly. Nimura waited for Tetsuo as the latter pointed out 5 fingers, indicating 5 seconds.

"Let me give you this before I go." Tetsuo mused.

"Give me w-" The moment Kaori returned her attention to him, she felt his lips pressed into hers, utterly shocking her. The kiss was passionate and warm. She relaxed and kissed back, her mind sputtering in shyness yet pulled in as Tetsuo prolonged the kiss further. Kaori was exhilarated, her heart beating against her chest as he held her in this passionate and intimate moment. Their lips soon parted, her air stolen from the intimate moment they shared. Even to this day in their relationship, she is never fully prepared for Tetsuo kissing her, as he does it when they're alone and rarely. But when it does happen, she holds on to those moments and treasures it completely.

"I'll see you tonight. I promise." Tetsuo said, before parting away, smirking at how surprised and astounded he got her. Kaori simply nodded before he turned around to catch up with Nimura. And yet, the young girl still couldn't get out of her shock from that display of affection.

"See you tonight…" Kaori trailed off, regaining her composure and smiling.

~~NIMURA~~

"You saw nothing, got it?" Tetsuo sneered, pointing his finger into Nimura's head as he caught his burgundy haired friend seeing them kiss. Nimura simply shrugged.

"I'm not gonna tease you Tetsu, relax." Nimura let out, chuckling at his childhood friend's 'tsundere' attitude, at least that's what Kai had said a few days ago. Ah he could be wrong. Tetsuo scoffed before retracting his finger from the burgundy haired teen's head and walked alongside him. 

"What's the surprise you and Kai have for me? A new bike?" Tetsuo asked, putting on his biker gloves. Nimura glanced at Tetsuo.

"Like I said it's a surprise, and I'll let you find out once we leave." Nimura replied, which Tetsuo gave him a knowing look as they approached Yamagata, Kuwata and Shosaku.

"There's the man of the hour!" Yamagata shouted towards Tetsuo as the duo approached. Nimura then remembered that he had to look for Kaneda. 

"Guys I'll be back, I'm gonna look for Kaneda. I know where he's at." Nimura said, heading off without waiting for a reply. He knew Kaneda was in the student nurse's office, getting the drugs for tonight. So when he got there, in the room was Kaneda, holding up a bag of capsules, smirking at the large quantity of drugs.

"Ah, there you are." Nimura said out loud, startling both The Capsule leader and the Student Nurse. 

"Oh shit Mura. You were looking for me?" Kaneda asked as he lowered the bag of 'goodies'.

"Yeah, they're waiting outside for you for the stuff. And I got Tetsuo already." Nimura responded.

"Speaking of stuff, just exactly where did you get that 'stuff' from?" The Nurse asked, which caught Nimura's full attention. Oh he remembered now, the pill that Kaneda was toying with earlier.

"Did you find out what it is?" Kaneda asked, dodging her question as the burgundy haired teen listened very carefully to what she was going to say.

"Parts of it...but it contained certain elements that defied analysis, at least by our equipment." The Nurse answered, looking over a report of the strange pill. That intrigued Nimura. It defied analysis? Just what was this pill that Kaneda caught from the exchange between Takashi and the other prune child?

"So, don't keep me in suspense. The gang's still waiting for their stuff you know." Kaneda reminds her, waving the contents in the bag. The nurse simply rose her eyebrows nonchalantly as she spoke.

"Compared to what was in your pill, those are candy, one grain of that is five times as powerful as the entire contents of that bag." She stated. Both Kaneda and Nimura were shocked at the reveal. Five times as powerful as the entire content of the bag? Just one grain alone? So if a person took that pill, then…

"If someone took that whole thing, he'd go mad...or die." The Nurse said out the last part with reluctance. It made Nimura's stomach churn. Takashi was close to ingesting that pill. Was it meant to kill him? No that wouldn't make sense, considering the kid had special powers beyond a human's abilities and comprehension. So that pill is meant to calm him down and tame his powers, whereas a regular person could actually die from it. Just what is the government doing? What kind of project were they spearheading with this kind of drug? Why did Kaneda hide this from him for a week? Why didn't he tell him about this pill? 

"One more thing...it's controlled under regulation sixty seven." The Nurse added on, reading it from a report.

"Which means?" Kaneda demanded, his patience wearing thin at how much information was being revealed. Nimura however, quietly walked to the desk behind the two, and there was the red and yellow capsule on the desk.

"The public doesn't have access to it. There is no legal way a private citizen can get this drug." She responded. Nimura swiftly took the pill from the desk and put it in his inside jacket pocket.

"What about the government? Sometimes it's surprising who get's involved in...something illegitimate." Kaneda narrowed his eyes, before beginning to walk away with Nimura in tow.

"Uh...what are you thinking Kaneda?" The Nurse asked, her tone laced with uncertainty.

"I think maybe...it's a monster sedative...for a monster." Kaneda monologues, walking away with Nimura. But the burgundy haired teen was in his own thoughts, and it was pertaining to this death pill. Half of him felt guilty for taking his pill without Kaneda's knowledge, knowing that's his friend and he needs to ask him. But the other half of him also felt that he needed to know more about this capsule on his own, and he took the pill, doing this on a whim. He had to take the pill, and keep it secretive from Kaneda.

"Hey, don't feel stressed out about all that complicated shit. It's just weird how something like that could kill a person. It's a monster sedative, that's why that little creep needed it." Kaneda tells Nimura, but the burgundy haired teen realizes just how much trouble they're truly in for taking the pill.

"Kaneda, let's just be very careful. We're in a whole bunch of shit right now, everything is on edge. I hope you know what you're doing." Nimura explained to Kaneda, for their safety and the whole list of headaches they have to be concerned with. 

"Don't worry Mura. We're gonna get out of this, okay? Let's just enjoy the night we're about to have with the gang." Kaneda replies back with ease.

After waiting additional minutes until Kaneda changed to his signature red biker outfit, he handed out the pills to everyone in the gang. Nimura received his, before putting the drug in his mouth and popping it like nothing.

"Tetsuo you ready?" He heard Kai shout, and glancing over, he sees from behind Kai taking off the covers to show a new, remodeled, sleek bike in a teal paint. Tetsuo's jaw dropped, the bike before him was just outstanding and gorgeous.

"Holy fucking shit! Just where did you get this bike!?" Tetsuo asked, clearly surprised by what is given before him. Nimura stepped up.

"We found this in the junkyard in working condition. Kai repaired the whole thing, while I designed it with many modifications and additions to customize it." Nimura told the raven haired teen. Tetsuo whips his head up at Nimura from what was said to him. The bike was designed by him? Kai repaired it while Nimura made some new modifications and customizations? They went out of they're way to make a new bike for him? Tetsuo couldn't comprehend just how much this truly meant to him, but it meant alot.

"Guys...thank you. Shit, thank you...I'm just surprised at seeing this." Tetsuo's eyes lit up in excitement as he turned on the bike, a rumbling electric sound afterwards. Nimura could barely contain the small smile form on his lips as he felt content at Tetsuo's awestruck gaze at his gift. Nimura got on his bike, stating it which made the vehicle glow a neon purple, and he slid on his shades, ready for the night of celebration.

"LET'S GO!!!" Kaneda hollered at the gang, which erupted cheers and roars of engines as Nimura and the gang ransacked the pavement and went over the stairs of the school, once again starting their daily night of shenanigans and playful banter, one Nimura was all used to.

~~COLONEL~~

The tall authoritative figure was at a loss. Not just because of what happened last week and the event that ensued, but because of something else…

Or rather someone else that invaded his mind...and as he's looking from his window viewing the illuminated, high rise skyline of Neo-Tokyo, nothing but that mysterious burgundy haired teen popped up in his head.

"His name is Tetsuo Shima, Colonel." The voice of Doctor Onishi entered his ears. "He attends the Eighth District Vocational Training School. Because it occurred there, we brought him here. Something turned up in the Electroencephalogram."

The Doctor cleared his throat before continuing. "We checked and rechecked it. There's a pattern to his brain waves I've never encountered before."

"How old is he?" The Colonel asked, as his thoughts continued to drift to the group of 4 last week, especially the miserable little upstart who he calls the hot headed ebony haired teen, who is connected to the burgundy haired teen and the other two rebels. Why did he keep thinking about the burgundy haired teen? What gave him this...queasy feeling about him?

"Fifteen years, seven months." Doctor Onishi states from the profile of Tetsuo. 

"What are the chances of him developing?" The authoritarian male asks, turning his gaze to the old scientist.

"There's always a chance. In one case, a subject awakened when he was eighteen." The Doctor replied in a logical tone. 

The Colonel walked away from the window, walking to his desk. "By the way, isn't he overdue? It's already eight o'clock."

"Isn't he being tailed?"Doctor Onishi asked as he organized the documents.

"Naturally!" The Colonel said out harshly, huffing at how things weren't on schedule, and how his thoughts were at a disarray.

"Then I suggest you contact your watchmen." The scientist said as he got up.

"I'm doing that now!" The Colonel quipped back, reaching for the phone to call his men of the current situation. And beneath all that, he was still in his thoughts, pertaining to the 4 resistance members that nearly kidnapped Takashi. The miserable little upstart took the capsule, now in enemy hands. And the mysterious burgundy haired teen gnawed his mind further. Why for? He was just an ordinary teen apart of the resistance. So why does it make him feel queasy? Why is that teen continuing to plague his thoughts?

There's only one thing to do in this situation...if he ever finds that teen, he needs to know more about him, to quell this uneasy feeling of who that burgundy haired teen is.

Yet...his gut churned more at the thought of learning of the mysterious teen's identity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a nice, emotional and sappy chapter before the storm comes and places everyone on edge. I am a major Tetsuo x Kaori shipper. Even though this is following the manga, I felt incline to make this an AU canon fanfic with Tetsuo and Kaori being in a relationship just like in the movie.
> 
> Oh Colonel...there's alot you don't know about that burgundy haired teen...alot...and I'll keep that in suspense for the time being.
> 
> Once again the exploration of friendship between Nimura, Tetsuo and the gang. Nimura felt the need to get Tetsuo a new bike to ride with them and he wanted to present this to him as a gift. Needless to say...Tetsuo is really happy. Chapter 16 is being posted tomorrow, and it's when Nimura sees the new things that begin the downhill of everything.


	16. Revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the night begins, the celebration is short lived when the arrival of the police and the scuffle of clowns appear. After Nimura saves Tetsuo and with the arrival of the Capsules, something in Tetsuo changes as becomes unstable with anger and violence. And that outburst is one of many mysteries. Just what does the next day surprise the delinquents with?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I know I was supposed to post this chapter yesterday. But I had ti take care of something important. But now I am back and oh boy...this chapter is the beginning of the angst wave and mysteries, along with a shocking and revealing twist in the end. Enjoy, and prepare yourselves!
> 
> I DO NOT OWN AKIRA. ALL CHARACTERS AND MATERIALS ARE OWNED BY OTOMO KATSUHIRO.  
> OCS BELONG TO ME.

The congested noises and car honks of the urban megapolis were no match for the loud, deafening rumbles of motorbikes that ransacked through the roads of Neo-Tokyo, belonging to a large group of teenage bikers who sped down, passing by two girls who were taken aback by the bikes passing by them, nearly running them over.

Kaneda stopped, looking around the area and the gang. Nimura stops beside him.

"What's up?" Nimura asked.

"Where's Tetsuo?" Kaneda asks, uncertain of where he went. Nimura perked up before looking around the gang. Confusion rattled his mind as he couldn't find Tetsuo anywhere. But before he could reply back, a motorbike rushed past then, revealing a smirking Tetsuo with his new bike.

"They didn't keep you long!" Kaneda flashes a smile back at him, while Nimura waves his hand to Tetsuo. 

"The gang's all here. We're good to celebrate." Nimura speaks, until a loud siren interrupts the atmosphere of the gang.

"Damn...they always wanna crash the party." Nimura says in annoyance.

"Looks like they're gonna show." Yamagata adds in. Kaneda and Nimura look into the lights of the police car. Kaneda rumbles his bike.

"READY OR NOT HERE THEY COME!!!" Kaneda hollers to his comrade bikers, before speeding off with Nimura and Yamagata in tow. What was supposed to be a fun night of teenage shenanigans ended shortly thanks to the arrival of the cops.

Nimura and the Capsules rushed their bikes at high speed as the sounds of sirens grew closer. The burgundy haired teen looks behind him to see the police car in view.

"THIS IS THE POLICE! YOU ARE IN VIOLATION OF THE LAW! PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD!"  
One of the cops blared over them. As if Nimura would listen to a bunch of corrupt cops that run this dystopian metropolis.

"YOU WANNA BUST US, YOU'LL HAVE TO WORK FOR IT!!!" Kai shouted back at them. Nimura decided to turn off the glowing lights of his bike to prevent the cops from recognizing his bike easily. And thanks to another addition to his bike, he switched off a button, which put it on electric mode and that turned down the rumbling and motor as to help further his escape.

"LET'S SPLIT UP!!!" Kaneda shouted to the gang to lose the cops. But it sent a queasy feeling in his stomach and unwanted memories when he said that.

"RIGHT!!!" Nimura and Tetsuo replied simultaneously, but they thought along the same lines as they remembered what happened the last time they split from the police.

'Stop thinking that way! Why am I always thinking something bad will happen as if it was with me!?' Nimura thought with irritation at how his mind alway races to his trauma. He turned to his right as the rest of the Capsules split up from the police. Yet this growing sense of dread appeared in Nimura's gutt as he continued to focus on the road.

~~TETSUO~~

The raven haired teen was having the time of his life. Riding his new bike mounted the pavements on the road, a smug and prideful grin was plastered on his face as he passed by different signs and streets. He hadn't been this happy and free in a while. 

"Hahaha, This is great!" Tetsuo yells with excitement, as the wind rushing at him made him have an adrenaline boost, his unruly hair corresponding to the wind. However his excitement and happiness turned to dread when he saw a group of unknown bikers behind him. They caught up to Tetsuo in seconds much to the teen's panic.

"Who the hell are you guys!?" He shouts out defensively. But the moment a light post shines light upon the unknown bikers, Tetsuo's eyes widen. Their helmets had clown like makeup painted on them. 'Oh fucking shit! The Clowns-!' His thoughts were interrupted as one of the clown bikers aggressively whipped a cord of screws, bolts and tool nails, and hitting the visor of Tetsuo's bike. The violent action caused Tetsuo to yelp as the glass broke into tiny shards, and the force of the action was enough to send Tetsuo fall off his bike harshly and rolling on the dirtied pavement.

He heard the bikers laugh mockingly before that same cord was heading straight for Tetsuo's face. The teen looked up a little too late as he barely dodged, but the makeshift weapon knocked off his goggles and hit his head. Few more wounds opened and leaked out blood as the wounds he received from the fall burned like hell. The ringleader of the group stepped on Tetsuo's shoulder violently, eliciting a pained yell from the teen, and gritting his teeth in anger, pain, and repulse as he looked up at the masked biker's face. 

"Smatter kid? Didn't anybody tell you it's bad manners playin' on someone else's turf?" The Clown member asked, sadistic glee in his tone. "Ay...you're one of those fucking capsules bikers ain't ya? Must be our lucky day then. Guys let's beat the living shit out of him!" And the moment Tetsuo heard that phrase edged with a dark malevolent tone, he felt hands grip his sweater before getting a punch to the face, then another, and another before begin thrown to the ground. He yelped as his back hit the concrete pavement. A sharp kick was sent to his gut, which let out another pained yell from Tetsuo.

Tetsuo felt blood dribbling down his head from the cuts he received, dribbling from his mouth from the few punches, and multiple bruises were forming on his face, shoulder, abdomen and stomach. The rotten ringleader of the group stepped on Tetsuo's shoulder once again, eliciting another scream of pain. "Heh, look at this weak kid, crying out in pain. Alright kid...it's time to say goodnight!" The ringleader mocked, before raising cord to strike Tetsuo with, failing to hear the very low humming of a lone purple bike. Tetsuo braced himself, yet unable to coax with the pain he has or the thought of dying.

Suddenly, a crack and cry of pain was heard. The Clown members and Tetsuo looked up to see a wrench hitting the antagonizing biker, breaking his mask's visor, the force making him crash to the ground. The wrench belonged to a familiar figure.

"What the fuck!? Chip!" One of the members cried out, but stopped when they saw a teen in black, with white gloves and shades appeared in front of them, making Tetsuo gasp out in surprise.

"Get the fuck off my friend." Nimura threatened, his tone calm yet dangerous. He took off his shades before placing his wrench down and taking off his black leather jacket.

"Fucker! You gonna get yours right now!" They abandoned Tetsuo, all focusing on Nimura with weapons in their hands.

"Nimura don't!" Tetsuo shouted out, gritting his teeth as his concern for his childhood friend heightens. But Nimura was simply unfazed at the small attacking group before him. One of them raised their club to hit, but the burgundy haired teen slid down and sweeped the guy's legs from under, forcing him to fall. Nimura got up quickly to send a kick to another clown's face, falling down before he caught another clown by his arm, using his body and torso to twist and dislocate the male's arm. A painful screech was heard from the man before Nimura punched him twice before the man fell to the dirty pavement. The Clown members were on the floor, groaning and moaning in pain, as Tetsuo looked at the scenery flabbergasted at the fact that Nimura took all of these members out fighting barehanded. 

Nimura turned his attention to Tetsuo, who was bleeding and battered up from the vicious assault that was given to him. He heard the rumbles of bikes, hearing one engine that belonged to a certain childhood friend and leader. Nimura went to check up on Tetsuo, until the latter had a panicked look on his face, making the burgundy haired teen bewildered. 

"Behind you!" Tetsuo screamed, and Nimura whipped his head around to see a Clown member lunging a knife at him. Nimura instantly rose his right arm up, which resulted in the Clown stabbing his arm deep, hearing the sound of flesh ripping and the painful thrust of the blade digging deep inside his bicep. He heard the cries of not just Tetsuo, but Kaneda, and Nimura kicked the guy's knee, making him stumble before sending a hard punch to the biker's cracking apart of his helmet. Soon he heard and saw the Clowns rumbling their bikes and scramming off.

"AFTER THEM!!!" Kaneda shouted with fury, as Kai,Takeyama, and Shosaku chased after the 3 Clown bikers who were escaping. 

~~NIMURA~~

He took out the knife that was jammed into his bicep and flung it to the floor next to the Clown biker. He turned his gaze to Tetsuo, as well as the other Clown biker before he walked to Tetsuo to help him.

"Tetsuo are you ok-" Nimura words were cut off by a dark grumble from Tetsuo.

"You…" Tetsuo got up, a enraged look crossed his face as he wiped blood from his mouth. "...Are a fucking dead man, scumbag!" Tetsuo growled, a vicious and venomous tone lacing his words, sounding so cruel that it made Nimura recoil in shock. Tetsuo grabbed the ringleader before throwing him to the solid wall, followed by a hard and violent punch Tetsuo gave. Nimura just watched as Tetsuo commits his violent assault.

"Mura!" Kaneda calls out and the burgundy haired teen whips his head at Kaneda, while the Capsule leader sees Nimura's bleeding hemorrhage on his arm. "Are you ok? Shit we need to patch that up." Kaneda said shakingly, making Nimura look at his friend weirdly. Kaneda never had a shaky tone before, this was new. He never heard Kaneda ever use that type of tone. Is his childhood friend alright? The rumblings of bikes returning, seeing Kai, Takeyama, and Shosaku return.

"Why'd you come back?" Kaneda narrowed his eyes at his comrades's early return. Nimura however was much more focused on the ongoing vicious assault that Tetsuo was unleashing on the barely conscious Clown member.

"We lost them." Kai said with disappointment. Nimura felt uncomfortable. He felt this tar like feeling because Tetsuo has still yet to back down from this raging assault on the ringleader who was covered in his own blood thanks to Tetsuo. He knew his childhood friend was violent when it came to fighting, punches real hard with his fists, and has an explosive temper. But this...it wasn't right. Something was very off here because Tetsuo wouldn't stop beating the life out of the unconscious Clown biker. He had to tell Tetsuo to stop otherwise he'll murder him.

"Tetsuo that's it. He's already out of it." Nimura called out, trying to get Tetsuo to stop. But the teen kept going further.

"Not while he's still breathing!" Tetsuo yelled back, launching his fist dripping with his victim's blood back into the guy's face. What!? Was Tetsuo really trying to murder this guy? What the hell? That's not how Tetsuo would act. Something was definitely off with the raven haired boy.

"ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL HIM!?" Kaneda screamed at Tetsuo, before pulling the boy's arm back to prevent him to do anymore damage or worse to the ringleader while Nimura held Tetsuo's shoulder. Tetsuo snapped out of it, startled by Kaneda's yell and both of his childhood friends restraining him, but his face quickly morphed back into anger.

"YES!!!" The quick yet angry response of Tetsuo admitting he was trying to make the ringleader a deadman made Nimura's blood ran cold. Did Tetsuo really just reply yes, wanting to kill the man? That's not right, he didn't hear that just now. But an endless stream of thoughts invaded Nimura's mind from what was just said. He felt Tetsuo push back their arms, before a dark, venomous, and deranged expression appeared on Tetsuo's face, and he noticed he wasn't just staring at Kaneda.

"I don't fucking take orders from the both of you." Tetsuo growled, his words feeling like ice shards, cutting and stabbing through. Nimura and Kaneda stood in pure shock and astonishment. Nimura noticed the darkened and pure unadulterated rage in Tetsuo's brown eyes. It made Nimura realize that there was something wrong with how Tetsuo was presenting himself, it was like a façade of some sort. And Nimura was on edge with this whole thing. 

Kaneda scoffed, a deep scowl on his face as he challenged back at Tetsuo's disobedience. "Say what!? He barked.  
Nimura felt an enraged aura coming out of Kaneda.

"I said I don't fucking take orders from you, Kaneda!" Tetsuo yelled back, giving out an intimidating expression as his hands clenched into fists. "You got that!?" 

Nimura looked and saw the situation starting to get out of hand as Kaneda and Tetsuo were staring down towards each other and looking like they weren't gonna back down. As calm and collected as he is, Nimura got in between both of his childhood friends, to break up the high tension between the two. For the first time in his life, he was utterly scared because he never saw these two fight in this way.

"Guys, let's just stop here. The last thing we need is a fight, and that's all it'll take for the authorities to use that against us." Nimura resonates between the two. What felt like 5 minutes was just seconds before Kaneda back down, silently agreeing with Nimura's words and reason. Tetsuo scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest before Nimura decided to get himself patched up from the fresh wound he has.

"Heh, Mura I wonder whose side you're gonna take. Mines...or Kani's?" The cryptic question was heard in Nimura's ears, making the burgundy haired teen look back at his childhood friend, who had a devious smirk on his face, eyes radiating cruelty. Nimura was completely baffled, tense, and suspicious. Tetsuo knew since childhood that Nimura never takes sides. So what the hell was this? Why did he ask him this? 

Rather than think of an answer, Nimura went back to patching his hemorrhage up, hearing the bikes begin to rumble again, signalling they were leaving. After Nimura fixed himself up, he started his bike and put on his jacket. He then sees Tetsuo take off first, not even looking back, it only made his stress level rise at this whole shit.

"Hey Nimura, are you alright?" Kaneda asked, his voice worried for Nimura. And only one response was in his head at the moment.

"Yes. I'm fine." He lied. Kaneda was too observant for this but instead drove off, with Nimura coming from behind him, followed by Kai and Takeyama.

'"Heh, Mura I wonder whose side you're gonna take. Mines...or Kani's?"' Those words appeared in Nimura's head again, causing a small form of chaos to engulf Nimura's mind. Just what happened to him after a whole week of being absent. 

"Tetsuo...what's happening to you? Why did you lash out? What's going on with you that we don't know?" Nimura said in a hushed tone, as the wind rushed by him on his bike, passing neon lights and high rise skyscrapers.

Nimura knew...something was very off.

~~COLONEL~~

The next day, in the afternoon

He was infuriated. His enraged aura made the car feel cold that his watchmen didn't dare speak a word from the military skyscraper to the run down school. So when the Colonel stepped out of the black vehicle, he didn't hesitate to get out and walk up the stairs of the crumbling facility to find Tetsuo Shima.

"Colonel!" One called out, slightly nervous as the towering man made is way up the steps. They failed him in catching Tetsuo, which now lead him to look for the potential psychic teenager.

"Colonel! You needn't go in person! Wait in the car, we'll...I'll…" His men tried to reason with him, but that only made the authoritarian man angrier. Why should he listen to them when they failed him in the first place?

He continued to walk further into the school grounds, ignoring the cries of his men and the looks of the bystanders.

~~NIMURA~~

The cafeteria was crowded and congested, rowdy voices of ruffians talking and yelling left and right. But what stood out most was the gossiping that a group of teens were chatting and asking amongst themselves like nosey schoolgirls.

"Tetsuo did what!?"

"Really?"

"I thought Kaneda was gonna murder him…" 

"Where did Tetsuo get so brave all of a sudden?"

It made Nimura uncomfortable from the amount of gossiping that only Tetsuo's name and actions came out of their mouths. In fact this whole morning had been shitty. He woke up to strangely vomiting for a good 10 minutes, which he was startled by. Then coming to class to see Kaneda and Tetsuo far away from each other, not even gazing at each other or the two of them acknowledging their presences, and it made Nimura's gut drop at that. He ended up sitting next to Kai since he felt how angry or rather annoyed both his childhood friends were towards each other and at the moment. The tension for the first 3 classes were just thick enough for a knife to cut it.

"Nimura…" He heard Tetsuo trail off, which prompted him to look at his raven haired childhood friend. "Are you alright? You look pale?" Tetsuo asked, taking his concern as a sign that their friendship is still in good terms, despite what happened last night.

"Yeah. I'm fine, I'm just not in the mood to eat or anything right now." Nimura replied, and the thought of food made him feel disgusted after throwing up whatever this morning. Tetsuo nodded, before he cleared his throat to say something Nimura wasn't expecting to answer. 

"So who's side did you take, Mura? Did you take my side and how I was right in doing what I was doing? Or did you take Kaneda's side and felt that his reasons were right?" Tetsuo questioned, his tone held this undermining voice of bitterness. Nimura whipped his head at Tetsuo in surprise. Did he really remember this shit from last night? What the hell? Why is he holding alot of anger towards Kaneda for? 

"Tetsuo, I don't take sides at all. You know I'm neutral on every aspect and view. I took neither of your sides." Nimura responded, clearly unable to understand what the hell is going on with him.

"I hope you aren't lying to me then…" Tetsuo trailed off, although his voice was now melancholic as he went back into picking and playing with his food. Nimura was becoming confused at Tetsuo's attitude. Now he definitely knows something's up the moment Tetsuo was gone for a week. His attitude...it's changing, and it's going into this bitter and defensive mask. He couldn't understand what was going on with his best friend but he's not going to back down.

"Tetsuo, what happened to you when-!"

"TETSUO SHIMA!!! IS TETSUO SHIMA HERE!?" A booming and masculine voice called over the crowd. The voice belonged to only one person, Mr. Takaba, a.k.a Jaws. Both teens looked up and made eye contact with the gym teacher. 

"Oh! There you are!" Mr. Takaba said, approaching Tetsuo. He grabbed Tetsuo away from the table before having him walk with the former, ignoring Nimura much to the teen's relief.

"The Principal wants to see you…" He heard the gym teacher tell Tetsuo, and that made Nimura's stomach plummet with dread. Now the principal wants to see Tetsuo? Does it have to do with what happened last night? Oh boy, he's hoping it isn't that. The last thing the gang needs is another incident that will separate them all into reform school.

Sighing in displeasure, he got up from the table and left the noisy cafeteria. He stepped outside, stopping by the entrance and took out the yellow and red capsule. The fact that he still feels guilty from taking it from Kaneda already adds more to his list of headaches. But he needed to find out more about this pill, and the origins of it as well. Putting the pill back in his pocket, he walked outside to the courtyard, wanting to sit outside for the remainder of his lunch period. He would have done that, if he hadn't saw a sleek, black sedan with a watchmen on the driver's seat, minding his own business.

"Oh shit...Kaneda and Tetsuo are in trouble." His mind raced with endless possibilities as anything could happen right now. He walked back towards the school, making a beeline to find both his childhood friends. He heard glass shatter the moment he was just about the school doors. He craned his neck to see Kaneda rolling on the ground before running to his bike, with watchmen hot on his trail. Nimura stood there, paralyzed at the event before him. He was too late...he was too damn late to solve anything. He watched in horror as Kaneda revved up his bike and drive down the stairs, losing the servicemen on his tail.

The booming voice of the Colonel was enough to make Nimura hide, and watch unfortunately as Kaneda speeds away. Nimura now knew he was in a state of turmoil. Now he had to take command of the gang until he found Kaneda. Moments later still in his hiding spot, he sees not only the Colonel, but Tetsuo as well being escorted by his men. Nimura was starting to shake. Just what does the military want with Tetsuo? What are they doing with him? He knew it was them who were responsible for keeping Tetsuo custody for a week. He's going to find out why. 

When the Black vehicle left with Tetsuo inside it, Nimura had managed to assemble the Capsule gang 5 minutes before class begins.

"Alright guys listen up, Kaneda is the middle of a personal emergency at the moment while Tetsuo is being detained by the police. I don't know how this shit could happen all in one day, but I will be finding Kaneda and try to find out why Tetsuo is being detained. Yamagata, you're acting second in command until I can find Kaneda tonight. Understand?" Nimura announced, before asking his gang for confirmation. A commotion of concern and confusion was present in the gang, but they all understood and listened to Nimura.

"Mura, just be careful alright?" Yamagata said, and while Nimura knew the teen wanted to say more thanks to his eyes, he resigned himself to just saying that.

"I promise I'll come back safe and sound." Nimura replied with his lips curved up, and that was it as Nimura ventured out the school, using the vomiting sickness as an excuse, which is the only perk he'll ever use as a 'favorite' student.

But the whirlpool of angst, nervous, anxiety, dread, and anger swirled into a concoction of something horrifying, and all he could is clutch his rosary and calm himself down from this situation. Not to mention the list of things he has to do, adding more to his list of headaches.

~~COLONEL~~

Later that night…

"YOU INCOMPETENT FOOLS!!! YOU LET HIM ESCAPE!!!" The Colonel boomed with fury, unable to accept the fact that the ebony haired teen escaped his clutches just as he got Tetsuo Shima. The watchmen shaked in fear and panic at the Colonel's wrath, sweat cascading down their heads as they bowed in deep apology.

"We a-are so s-sorry!" The guards stuttered, tripping over their words."

"Not as sorry as you'll be failing me again." The Colonel narrowed his eyes at his men. Doctor Onishi had creaked the door open to find the scenery before him.

"Now get out of my sight. You're wasting my time." The authoritarian man growled at the two guards, and they ran for their lives out the door, leaving a very bewildered Doctor Onishi.

"What was that about?" The Doctor asked.

"Nothing that concerns you." The Colonel quips, scoffing to himself before turning his gaze to the scientist. "What have you done with...Tetsuo Shima, isn't that his name?" He asked, wanting confirmation from the doctor who is in charge of this whole thing.

"I've given him a sedative. Tomorrow when he wakes up, we can begin intensive examinations." Doctor Onishi replies.

"When may I expect to hear a report from you?" He questioned the doctor as he leaned into his chair to get comfortable.

"It will take about 3 weeks to compile all the data-!!!" The conversation was interrupted the moment a loud deafening explosion rocked Neo-Tokyo.

"WHAT!?" The Colonel whipped his head to glance at a large fire in the distance. He was astounded and taken aback by this.

"It came from the old city." The Doctor indicated.

"Could it have been the Olympic site?" The Colonel pondered, knowing that is the only lively activity in the abandoned old capital. His thoughts racing with endless possibilities.

~~KANEDA~~

He happened to go down the route of the Olympic Stadium. The moment he got there, an explosion rocked his eardrums. Despite the unusual shock, he still waited there parked on his bike. The moment he saw a familiar feminine figure running towards him, his lips curved into a smirk. She stopped, gasping the moment she saw Kaneda.

"I thought this might be your doing." He said, a smug aura radiating from him.

"You!" Kei let out, surprised and exasperated by his appearance. 

"I'll say this for you guys. Whoever you guys are, you put on a good show." Kaneda compliments, smirk never leaving his face towards her. Their moment was interrupted when running footsteps were heard coming at them.

"Kei what are you doing!? We have to get out of here this instant-!" The figure stopped, frozen in place as he saw the teenage biker. Kaneda's eyes widen in utter shock, as his onyx eyes stared into raven black eyes. Nothing around them right now was heard, not even the shouts of panic as they saw each other.  
Everything went in slow motion as the air dropped several degrees.

"Nimura!?/Kaneda!?" Both teens called out, in a state of revelation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooh boy!!!!!!!  
> REVEAL 1: Nimura is a member of the resistance. And that will get revealed in the next chapter in a flashback! I know that the Ryu and Nezu conversation was supposed to be here, but I'll put that in the next chapter since it would have spoiled the surprise for the ending of this chapter! Oh there is more secrets in this story >:) >:)
> 
> Next time on Chapter 17...and a introduction of a significant character that will be an OC!


	17. At A Loss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The escape of Kaneda from the Colonel and his men, the incapacitation of Tetsuo by the military has led Nimura to take secret actions, one that now exposes him to who else he is affiliated with after he and Kei bump into Kaneda in the flesh. 
> 
> But Nimura's affiliation to them all began 6 months by a certain doctor. Just what did Nakamura tell him im the hospital room?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I apologize for being absent for a couple of days! But here is to chapter 17! Just to let you know, a new OC has arrived in Awaken, and this person may have a significant impact on Nimura, whether it's good or bad is the question that will remain a mystery. 
> 
> Also, I decided to name the two anonymous accomplices of Ryu with two names, the one accomplice we see with the cap in the first half of the manga is Tokumei, which means anonymous. The second accomplice with the chin flap muskrat hat is named Mumei which means nameless. I feel like they deserved to have a name since the manga never discloses it.
> 
> And Shimasaki happens to be the resistant agent who was only from the anime that was in on the infiltration of the military base before he gets killed by the military. I decided to add him in here as a minor role.
> 
> So I'll let you enjoy this chapter and how Nimura came to join the Resistance.
> 
> I DO NOT OWN AKIRA. ALL CHARACTERS AND MATERIALS ARE OWNED BY OTOMO KATSUHIRO.  
> OCS BELONG TO ME.

~~NIMURA~~

Hospital...room 415...6 months ago…

"Alright then, Let's hear it. What do you want to talk to me about?" Nimura asked Nakamura. Said male had a contemplative look on his face to wonder how he was going to say something that was to never be repeated under any circumstances.

"Nimura...you know you were an orphan until attending high school correct?" Nakamura asked him. Nimura had his eyebrows raised at the question, but nodded simply.

"That wasn't your fault...nor did your parents have a choice at the time. They had different options, but they chose the safest route for you and thought that it would be best." Nakamura let out, and this haunted the burgundy haired teen. How does he know of his parents? Did he have a past with them? What did his parents do?

"How do you know my parents?" There was alot more that Nimura wanted to ask, but instead that question came out.

"As much as I want to tell you, I can't explain everything right now due to the current state of your mental health. But I knew your parents because I was the one that helped your mother give birth to you. And had been their doctor for the time since you were in the womb." Nakamura replied, being serious with his answer. Nimura's face contorted to shock. This doctor is technically his doctor! What makes it more surprising is that he knew him since he was a fetus. What the hell is going on?

"You were supposed to be safe, thinking that sending you away to an orphanage was the best option. But that demon...Kazunari had somehow found you. He found you and...hurt you in an excruciating way-" 

"Wait stop," Nimura interjected, clearly on guard the moment that malevolent name came out of Nakamura's mouth. Now he felt dread weigh his body down. How did this man know of his torturer? "How do you know about him? Who are you really?" Nimura asked, feeling highly cautious. After being tortured with sharp multiple tools, injected with unknown shit he doesn't know, and nearly die from his injuries and blood loss, how can he be calm through all this?

Nakamura's eyes displayed uncertainty, but still maintained a stern expression. "Nimura, my name is Nakamura Kaito, a doctor, and member of an anti-government force: The Resistance. The reason I know Kazunari is because of the type of cruel and evil man he is, and what he is capable of. I can't say too much at the moment, but I will say why Kazunari did what he did...your parents...and your last name." Nakamura implied, and it made Nimura's gut drop. A whirlwind of racing thoughts ransacked his brain from all of this new information being told to him. How long was he living under a rock from this? How long was this kept from him? Did his parents know? What is the problem with his last name Hasegawa?" 

"So...he went after me, because of my parents, and my last name...is there a reason why pertaining to my last name?" Nimura questions with confusion, just at a loss with this reveal.

"I can't say anymore at the moment. But if you really want to know more about the truth, my advice is for you to join the Resistance. The organization is led by a politician named Nezu, who has been trying to break down the current government and reveal the secrets of an ongoing project named 'AKIRA'." Nakamura explained to him.

"Join the Resistance? First of all I don't even know who those people are or what they're capable of, secondly I'm part of a biker gang who I grew up with and are now protective of me more than ever, and third how can I trust you?" Nimura was skeptical now. So much shit happened in one day and Nakamura wants him to join an anti-government organization that could put him at jeopardy.

"I apologize for asking you to join after what you just endured, but it is imperative if you join them, it will lead you to the truth of your parents, and take down Kazunari." Nakamura reassured, but the burgundy haired teen still couldn't contemplate his decision completely. Not even out of the hospital and he's already dealing with more shit that is now serious than the last. 

He felt his stress level increase, and that gave him tinges of pain in his wounds. He can't believe this. Him, being asked to join a revolutionary group to take down the government led by a mole in the parliament. He's only 15 and this is what's being handed down to him already? While one thought of him saw Nakamura being crazy for initiating him to join the Resistance, another part of him wanted to find out the truth. The undiscovered truth about his parents, the truth behind his surname, and who Kazunari was and why do all of this to him and leave him for dead. But before he would have his brain go through a war, he felt his lips move for him and make a decision, one that would change his life forever.

"I'll join...under one condition. I keep my friends, my gang, and my normal life away from this new faction." Nimura states, his eyes narrowing at the doctor and agent before him. Nakamura conveyed a small shock. He cleared his throat.

"If that's what you insist, it's understandable, but there will be times that your gang lifestyle will be overlapped as a resistance agent. It'll be hard to keep this a secret from them." Nakamura responds. Nimura straightened himself, ignoring a twitch of pain within his torso. 

"I'll find ways to keep it a secret. But I do not want my friends to be involved in anything more dangerous than what we do. And I'm only joining on a whim, to find out about my parents, the mystery of my last name and to take down Kazunari. Nothing more, nothing less." Nimura says, his black eyes not leaving the doctor's eyes. Nakamura sighs out, preparing his next words.

"Alright then Nimura. I'll have to contact Nezu and the rest to tell them. But...there's alot that's uncovered right now, and things will get complicated through your journey. So...let me tell you this before you leave…

(1 month into Nimura's recovery)

He was nervous. Fidgeting on his black jeans, he had been very careful to not let anyone follow him after he left his friends back at the Harukiya as they were getting high and drunk. At least Takeyama, Jin, and Shosaku were the sober ones in watching them, but Nimura still had to be cautious. He didn't want anyone to know he was meeting with Nakamura to meet with the resistance. 

After 4 weeks of no response from Nakamura, Nimura thought he was just spouting irrational things. But when he saw him in an overpass a day ago revealing the meet place and time, Nimura wasn't fully prepared for this. And now...he was going to see people who were trying to take down the government.

He was in a desolate part of the street, just 15 blocks away from the Harukiya. After making many turns, directions and different alleyways, he still knew just how far he was from the bar. Nimura remained on guard and high alert, his ice pick in the sleeve of his waist length trench coat. He wasn't taking any chances at the moment from anything or anyone. He glances to his right and sees a gray sedan come near him. When it got next to him, the passenger seat window slid down, revealing Nakamura in the driver's seat. Silence was only exchanged between them as Nimura hopped in the car before they drove off.

"You made sure you weren't being followed, correct?" Nakamura asked him as he kept his eyes on the road.

"I took different routes and directions that will cover up my tracks that would confuse even a detective." Nimura huffed out, trying to keep calm, but his anxieties were on edge. He's in a biker gang, he should be able to deal with meeting a group of rebels like a walk in the park. But it wasn't, and he felt the opposite of that. Was it because these were people that have done worse than what the Capsules have done? Was it because he was going to be involved in fighting against the Japanese government and society of Neo-Tokyo? Or is it the fact that the anti-government organization are knowledgeable and skilled in combat, infiltration and weaponry?

"Nakamura...what do I do when we get there and meet them?" Nimura questioned, his voice barely above a whisper to hide his shaking tone.

"Me and Nezu will do most of the talking, but just act yourself, and if asked a question, be honest." The older male replies, his expression softening at the burgundy haired teen's nervousness no matter how well he hid it. The rest of the ride was silent as they made their way through the dystopian metropolis. 

When the duo finally made it to the meeting location, Nimura took a descriptive look of his surroundings. He knew they were under an overpass of an expressway. But they were in between a small industrial sector of construction and smaller buildings, and to his left was the neon lit central business district of Neo-Tokyo. 

"I'm assuming that because of how run down yet durable this four storied building that we're in front of, the organization wants to keep a very low profile, even to civilians and gangs." Nimura simplified, turning to Nakamura as he shut his car door.

"Yes. We have to keep a severely low profile. After what's been going on with the demonstrations, protests, and high crime rates, the government has been doing full sweeps and crackdowns lately. The last thing we need is to be found out and that could have tremendous consequences." Nakamura indicated. The burgundy haired teen just nodded, still shaken up a little now they are just about to meet. Well he is actually.

"We are just waiting for Nezu-san to have him formally introduce you to them as well." Nakamura says. 

Speak of the devil and he shall arrive. A black limousine sedan comes into their direction, before stopping across from Nakamura's vehicle. A chauffeur comes out of the driver's seat before heading to the back door. When he opens it, out comes a rather very short man, just tall enough to reach Nimura's shoulder with wrinkled features, pale skin, hairline starting further down with slicked back white hair going down to his nape. He wore a black double breasted suit, brown trench coat, black slacks and black shoes. His short appearance, and oddly sticking out pair of teeth made Nimura imply why his name is Nezu-san. 

'Now I know why his name is Nezu...he's so short and has the appearance of a rat.' Nimura jokes internally, and he will take those words to his grave.

"Ah. It is excellent that you managed to come in on time, Nakamura-san. And you was also able to bring in our new recruit too." Nezu spoke, looking between the two of them. Nakamura, and on instinct, Nimura bowed to the revolutionary politician before them, with the older male doing the same. 

"Yes Nezu-san. I was hoping I wasn't late since we had to make sure no one was following us." Nakamura replied. Nezu nodded before turning to Nimura.

"Greetings Hasegawa-san, I am Nezu-san, the leader of the Resistance and politician within the Executive Council. I'm sure Nakamura-san here has told you about me through my name." Nezu explained to Nimura. The burgundy haired teen, despite being in gang wars, parties, hanging out with the Capsules and scuffles, knows how to act professionally in settings like this. He may dislike politicians and the ideas of politics, but for now he will be observing Nezu and put on this act of professionalism and eloquent demeanor.

"Konnichiwa Nezu-san, yes Nakamura-san has told me about you and what you do. My name is Hasegawa Nimura, although Nakamura-san may have told you about my name and identity after I agreed to join." Nimura responded back to the politician. After the introductions were out of the way, the sound of a rustic door was opening from the abandoned four storey building, alerting the group outside. A man with slightly rough features, wearing a black muskrat trooper hat, a dark green trench coat, black gloves and pants. He saw the 3 more notable figures in the narrow overpass like alleyway. 

"Nezu-san, Nakamura-san and...huh you must be the new recruit." The man spoke. Nezu waved his hand while Nakamura nodded. Nimura just remained silent, remembering the latter's words when they were in the car.

"Greetings. I'm assuming everyone is inside?" Nezu asked, as he walked forward, with Nimura and Nakamura behind.

"Yes sir. Everyone is in the building waiting." The man responded. Nimura still felt on edge about this. Just how many of them were here in this organization? It didn't calm Nimura's anxieties as he entered the building behind the short politician.

"Very well. We will be introducing our new member tonight, and announce recent information." Nezu replied, following the fellow comrade as he led the three to a door. After the male opened the door, he went to the side, announcing the arrival of Nezu, Nakamura, and Nimura. 

The burgundy haired teen saw in his vision of just how many people were in the room. There were 7 of them. Four men and three women. And if he counts Nakamura, Nezu and the other guy he came in with, a total of 10.

Nimura felt the narrowing or suspicious eyes of every resistance member minus Nakamura and Nezu. He knew they were scrutinizing him in some way or some form. Seeing how alert and tense they were, they aren't used to recruiting new members into their cause, much less a teenager who's part of a biker gang and attends a run down school. But he couldn't care less for their opinions or criticisms, because at the end of the day he isn't here to make friends, he's only here for the goals he set for himself.

"Everyone, we have a new member to our cause, one that was scouted by our senior member Nakamura-san." Nezu disclosed to the group.

"Is he trustworthy to be on our side, Nezu-san? We don't need him to turn out to be a mole of some sort." One male, with dark brown hair, clear yet rough features, in a black blazer and green button down shirt pointed out, a cigarette in his fingers as he glared into the black eyes of Nimura.

"Shimasaki, calm down." A deeper voice called out to his comrade, who was tall in height, tan skin, short and straight yet spiky black hair in a black long sleeve and beige pants.

"Trust me, he isn't a mole or anything of that matter. He is a teenager who is, in simple terms, part of a biker gang. But more importantly, has decided to help the cause along with finding the truth about his parents." Nakamura defended the burgundy haired teen, clearing him of any suspicion, before giving him the okay to introduce himself.

"My name is Hasegawa Nimura, and I can assure you that I am just with odds at the government that I dislike." Nimura announced. The 7 people however froze. They froze after he said his full name. What was the problem?

"Well...I'm honestly surprised you have that name. This is astonishing." The one in black and beige called out, and the members were in awe as well or were amused at this development of the new recruit. Was he referring to his last name? Just what the hell is going on? Does meeting new people all of a sudden unlock more angst and questions for him?

"Alright now that you've said your intro, it's time to get to know ours. I'm Ryusaku, but I prefer being called Ryu." The man spoke out.

"Beside me is Kei," He referred to a young woman with short black hair, in a brown long sleeve shirt, red scarf with high knee boots. She simply nodded.

"The guys to my left are Tokumei and Shimasaki," he showed to the two males, Tokumei had a cap on with a button down shirt, khakis, and a cigarette. He already knew Shimasaki thanks to being accused as a mole by him.

"Over there you have Chiyoko, Mumei, and Aiko Hinami," he referred to a tall yet heavyset woman with a serious look on her face with black hair in a ponytail, wearing a large black coat, Mumei is the guy that led the 3 to the room, and the last one, the girl. She had tan skin with brown hair, a short and slender form clad in a beige trench coat, black long sleeve and skirt with dark pantyhoses, and boots. Her pantyhose had a small knife to the side in a gear. Her eyes were hazelnut, yet no light in them.

Nimura nodded and acknowledged them all with a bow.

"Alright, now that we've officially recruited Hasegawa to the Resistance, we can now get down to the new information leaked out from the government." Nezu declared. This was the start of something new and serious for him. After experiencing this encounter, he definitely needed to learn the truth about his parents, the mysterious information behind his last name, and Kazunari...all while keeping Kaneda, Tetsuo, Yamagata, Kai, and the gang from knowing about this. 

For the next 6 months in his time with the Resistance he learned more martial art techniques, how to shoot, spying and infiltration, and more about the project secretly spearheaded by the government, named 'AKIRA'.

(Present)

~~RYU~~

An hour before the Olympic Stadium explosion…

"The pill…?"Ryu pondered, leaning over the edge of a railing overlooking an aerial view of the bustling megapolis.

"Precisely. For whatever reason, the opposition has gone to some lengths trying to recover it, Ryu." Nezu implies, leaking out information to the former of the government's movement.

"That Kid made off with it in all the confusion." Ryu blurts out, referring to the disaster at the canal a week ago.

"Do you know of his identity?" Nezu asks, narrowing his eyes at said information.

"No. But Nimura knows of his identity, as it seems he's close to him." Ryu responds.

"Then it is imperative that Hasegawa-san finds that friend of his. Before the other side does." Nezu decides. While Ryu felt unsure about involving Nimura's friend after Nakamura had mentioned to him that the burgundy haired teen didn't want anyone else he knows in this, the thought of the opposition capturing the ebony haired teen didn't sit right with him.

"And what have you heard about the new Olympic Stadium they're building in the old city, Ryu?" Nezu questions, his tone curious.

"My sources indicate that the site will become a secret military installation after the games...construction is already underway, Nezu." Ryu replies, citing what his sources gave him.

"Yes. We've already given the civil authorities enough prompting. All we need now is something to start a public outcry." Nezu affirms, standing up from the railing.

"You mean an incident, Nezu?" Ryu asks for confirmation.

"Yes. A major incident!" The politician advises expertly.

~~NIMURA~~

This wasn't supposed to happen. This wasn't supposed to happen. Despite the mission being a success with Kei, Aiko, Tokumei and Mumei, Nimura failed the one major objective since he joined this organization.

Keeping his friends away from this movement and avoid getting caught. All of that went down the drain the moment he and Kaneda saw each other while Kei has stopped, surprised to see the Capsule leader right there. Now, his position is exposed to his childhood friend. Pools of angst, dread, fright and trepidation encases Nimura's being as this now gotten out of hand.

Seeing the look on his childhood friend's face, Nimura went from fright, shock and bewildered to guilt, remorse, and disappointment.

"Nimura...what are you doing here? Why are you here with her? The hell's going on?" Kaneda asked, his voice changing now that he's seeing his burgundy haired childhood friend beside Kei. The rather shocked yet angering expression of Kaneda even surprised Kei who stood in between the two. Nimura stood there, unable to speak, clearly in a paralysis like state except he was breathing. The fact that Kaneda's voice took a little octave at this new revealing information made Nimura's lungs feel like a tight band was wrapped around it, constricting his breathing and oxygen. What does he say!? 

"How long were you with her? And with 'those guys'?" Kaneda asked again, stern than the last as he glared. Nimura continued to stay silent, his bangs covering his eyes to prevent them from looking into Kaneda's onyx ones. Nakamura's words came back at him to bite him in the ass. Kaneda took Nimura's silence as another speculation to something else.

"Are you with them!? Did you help her set up a bomb to cause all of that!?" Kaneda questions, yet his voice was becoming desperate and angry at Nimura's silence. And he knew his childhood friend has every reason to be angry at him. Nimura still didn't know how to answer him, while Kei felt just how angry the delinquent was at her comrade. It spoke volumes to her at just how close Nimura is with Kaneda.

Before any party could act, multiple footsteps were heard coming towards them. The trio looked to see Tokumei, Mumei, and Aiko running towards them. 

"Kei! Nimura! What the hell are you two waiting for!? We have to go now!" Tokumei shouted at them, somewhat high on adrenaline. The 3 resistance members caught up, but the moment they saw Kaneda, they were alarmed by his sudden appearance.

"Who's that!?" Tokumei demanded, reaching for a pistol in his trench coat pocket.

"A guard!?" Mumei shouted, with Aiko taking out a gun of her own.

"No wait! He's not one of them!" Kei and Nimura shouted back simultaneously, much to the resistance's shock, and Nimura thanked her truly for defending Kaneda, as he feels in his position it wouldn't be enough to get his childhood friend out of this position.

"Eh? You two know him?" Aiko asked, lowering her pistol in her hands.

"Sort of-"

"He's my best friend. Since childhood." Nimura interjected as he cuts to the chase.

"Since childhood?" Aiko repeated, clearly in awe at the teen before her with the mysterious aura he holds in the group.

"This is no time for small talk!" Mumei urged them, keeping watch of their surroundings due to the big racket they commenced. 

"You're right. Let's go." Kei concluded.

"Not so fast!" Tokumei boomed, before aiming his gun at Kaneda. "He can identify us." He stated darkly, scowling at the delinquent teen, who by now appeared unfazed by the ripping tension and life-threatening situation.

"I told you to leave him alone!" Kei snaps back at her comrade while Nimura approaches Kaneda with visible dread.

"Kaneda you need to leave right now for your own safety-!" Nimura's words of concern and care were harshly cut off with a growl by the biker gang leader.

"No fucking way! I'm not getting left behind this time, and I'm not leaving until you tell me what the fuck is going on with you." Kaneda seethed, his glare boring into Nimura's soul. It made the burgundy haired teen feel another pile of guilt for keeping his childhood friend in the dark about this.

"We'll have to take him with us." Tokumei suggested, making Nimura, Mumei and Aiko look at him in astonishment. As far as Nimura could know about the cap wearing male, Tokumei would never let anyone live to see behind their plans. 

"Noo!" Kei yells in protest, not wanting the persistent yet annoying delinquent to be with them. Kaneda smirked in pride at the decision while anxiety coiled in Nimura's gut from the suggestion, his stress increasing tenfold.

"But the bike stays here!" Tokumei dictates, making Kaneda trip over his words.

"You can't ask me to abandon my bike!" Kaneda whines, clearly distressed at the demand to leave his bike unattended.

"Kaneda, you don't have a choice. You wanted to stay plus we have to leave immediately." Nimura added in, just completely high on stress and dread. With irritation and reluctance, Kaneda left his bike, for Nimura to cover it up quickly behind the cargo before joining the rest of the group down the sewers. He closes the pothole leading to the sewers before going down the ladder, staying completely silent.

"Ryu will know how to handle this kid." Mumei huffs out, just at odds with this new situation.

"I hope my bike will be okay up there." Kaneda muses in a melancholic tone. This always happens whenever he's away from his bike for not even 5 minutes.

"It should be, this is a restricted area." Tokumei responds to the teen's worry. Nimura however paid no attention to the commotion in the group and trudged down the murky water silently. His thoughts were at war with each other right now. Kaneda finding out he's a member of the Resistance, something he failed at keeping a secret. And now him finding out and never telling him only added more to his headaches and anxiety. Just why can't he rest for once? Why does there have to always be tension now? Can this night get any worse?

A soft hand clasped his shoulder, and Nimura glances to see Aiko looking at him with slight worry.

"Are you ok Nimura?" She asks. The burgundy haired teen snaps out of it before looking at her fully with a neutral expression.

"Yes, I'm fine at the moment. Just in my thoughts." Nimura answered back. Aiko just nodded before paying attention to the group and her surroundings while clutches his dear rosary for clearance and faith. Little did he know, Kaneda was subtly giving him glances while not being suspicious by the group as they continued walking.

~~COLONEL~~

He entered the advanced laboratory of highly complicated equipment. As he enters the room further he goes into a space where Doctor Onishi and a fellow scientist are monitoring and studying behind the window glass, experimenting on none other than Tetsuo Shima, the potential psychic with abnormal brain waves.

The Colonel stood in front of the glass as he eyed Tetsuo going through the extreme examination.

"Sometime in the past twenty four hours, he took some kind of artificial stimulant, Colonel." The voice of Doctor Onishi reported. The Colonel turned to him, confused by the report.

"Stimulant?" The Colonel questions.

"A drug...Uppers. Pep pills. They're currently enjoying a great vogue of them in the younger generation." The Doctor states, before clearing his throat to continue. "This one seems to be a combination of over-the-counter ingredients. Any reasonable pharmacist could synthesize it." The Colonel became mildly intrigued of this new information.

"It's not a hallucinogen, but it maybe addictive. I believe it accounts for the altercation of the brain wave patterns." Doctor Onishi claims as he faces the delinquent teen behind the glass.

"Which means Doctor?" The Colonel asks, wanting to get to the bottom of this.

"The fact Sir, is that this is the first such case I've encountered, and I am at a loss on how to proceed." The Doctor replied as a statement, implying that Tetsuo is a rare case in his study.

"Time is a luxury we cannot afford. Don't squander any of it worrying about being gentle with him." The authoritarian figure remarks, staring at the unconscious teen as he feels that this case is now much more important than ever.

Not knowing the untampered power he is unintentionally unlocking from Tetsuo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the reveal behind Nimura's affiliation to Kei, Ryu and the Resistance and the surprise of how Doctor Nakamura is also a Resistance agent. An angry and angsty Kaneda has appeared and seems to aim towards Nimura. Oh the dreadful angst.
> 
> Next time on Chapter 18!!! >:)


	18. Mishap and Mystery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For the past 6 months after Kazunari's torture, Nimura had been a member of the Resistance and had been living a double life...which had been now exposed to Kaneda. Nimura and the Resistance take Kaneda to their base to be interrogated under Ryu, only to be met with an impasse after failure of locating the pill. To make matters more complicated, they all get a weird, supernatural visitor in the form of Kaneda.
> 
> Tetsuo is suffering through excruciating pain from his head after the examination and is also experiencing these weird 'dream' sequences. What do all of these sequences mean?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Guys! I apologize for not updating this on time. These past few weeks have been crazy between the pandemic and the protests and riots in the United States. I just hope everyone is doing well and is okay from both of these events. I strongly support Black Lives and that Black Lives Matter! 
> 
> Without further ado, this is going to be a long chapter with alot of hints and angst! Enjoy! 
> 
> I DO NOT OWN AKIRA. ALL CHARACTERS AND MATERIALS ARE OWNED BY OTOMO KATSUHIRO.  
> OCS BELONG TO ME.

Nimura walks alongside Kei and Ryu, hanging his head low in a mixture of guilt, regret, confusion, and frustration. Rather than waiting in the room with Mumei, Aiko, and Kaneda, the burgundy haired teen decided to go with Kei and Tokumei to meet Ryu down the secret entrance of their hideout. 

  
  


Nimura's mind is in a state of chaos and catastrophe. Day and day since he joined the Resistance he promised himself that he wouldn't let anyone of his friends know he's affiliated with this group. He promised himself he would protect his friends and gang from being involved and harmed. Instead, his best friend, leader of the Capsules, Kaneda Shotaro had found out of his involvement. Of all people, Kaneda had to find out he was involved with the group that wanted to bring down the government. That was the last thing Nimura needed, and now...regret and guilt was concocting in his stomach making his body part ache like a bad combination of foods all mixed together. 

  
  


The burgundy haired teen felt worse than ever. He felt like he committed a horrible deed, one that wouldn't be forgiven and instead will be rewarded with a traumatizing and unforgettable punishment. The look of shock and anger on Kaneda's face was something Nimura couldn't erase out of his mind. The anger...no, the fury written all over Kaneda's face was poisonous, deadly poison that would burn him painfully. The thought of Kaneda giving him that furious glare sent a metallic chill through his veins, an unraveling feeling of nervousness choking and eating at him. Because for the first time since he met him...Kaneda was angry at him. Completely angry at him. 

  
  


What felt worse is now...is having to deal with a situation that he has no idea to handle. His loyalty to Kaneda and the Capsules, the school now putting him on a higher pedestal than before, Tetsuo's incarceration by the military, his cause to join the Resistance, and...the hunt for Kazunari. All of this already rattled Nimura's mind, but now...he has to tell Kaneda why and when because of his decision with the Resistance.

  
  


"You should have told me immediately Kei!" The voice of Ryu snapped him out of Nimura's turmoil. He hadn't realized Ryu was now with them or how long has time passed since he waited with Kei and Tokumei for Ryu. What a mess he truly is at the moment.

  
  


"We thought our report took precedence. He appeared out of nowhere while I was running, spouting some nonsense and 'praising us' for our work, until Nimura came from behind to snap me out of it and then...well…" Kei trailed off in a mixture of uncomfortable and uncertainty before glancing at Nimura, much to his chagrin. The two older males stared at Nimura after Kei had hesitated to say the rest and look at Nimura for clarification and remember how the other part of that tense moment came out. For once can Nimura get a rest and stop having stress come at him like a deer in headlights?

  
  


Nimura sighed, a grimacing and disdainful expression plastered on his face. But he felt his lips move, subconsciously deciding to explain the rest. "When I caught up to Kei, Kaneda and I saw each other. He was astonished to find out that I...was apart of the Resistance. He started to question...before getting angry at me." Nimura reaffirms, yet his voice low and uncharacteristically shaking. Kei had looked at Nimura, a look of sympathy on her features. Before anyone could reply to this, Nimura cleared his throat to add more. "His anger was justified. He has every right to be angry and upset at me for keeping him in the dark about this. Nakamura was right...no matter how many steps I took at keeping my involvement hidden from my gang life, it collided with my life as a resistance agent. There was no way I could have prevented it regardless of my efforts." After Nimura said that, his 3 comrades gave him looks of remorse. Seeing that the 15 year old resistance agent is overwhelmed with all that's happening to him and how much it's affecting him.

  
  


"Hey kid...listen I understand if you don't want to join this meeting-" Ryu started off, trying to help the burgundy haired teen's stress, but Nimura shook his head, sporting an unemotional face. 

  
  


"It's fine. I'll endure whatever consequences that'll be sent towards me. And whatever Kaneda has to say to me due to how upset he is right now is justified." Nimura curtly replies. Ryu was frowning at how hard Nimura was going on himself. He wanted to say more, but the 4 of them were already at the door where Kaneda, Aiko, and Mumei were in. Ryu swung the door open, gaining the attention of the former 3. 

  
  


Kaneda sees Ryu, Kei, Nimura and Tokumei at the door. Nimura didn't miss the longer brief glance his childhood friend gave him, and it wasn't a nice one. But Kaneda made a weird expression, a fusion of a smile, and a rolling of his eyes. Feigning a reaction of praise. "Welcome to my humble commode. Greeting! Fancy meeting you have here...heh heh."

  
  


While Nimura faced Kaneda with confusion, Ryu simply smirked, taking a seat at the chair in front of the table as Kei moved to his right, Nimura went ahead, stopping between Kei and Kaneda while leaning on the stacked crates, while Tokumei stood by the door.

Kaneda turned his head around, unable for anyone to see the disgusted look he was making.

  
  


"I'm glad you're here. I want to thank you." Ryu states, earning a puzzled reaction from Kaneda.

  
  


"Thank…?" Kaneda trails off, and Nimura was just as stuck as Kaneda is about Ryu's gratitude. But the burgundy haired teen knew there was a catch to this. The next question made Nimura wish he chopped off his own ears.

  
  


"So...the pill...do you still got it?" Ryu questioned cautiously at the Capsule leader. Nimura is lucky that he has such good restraint on his emotions, reactions, and body language, because that question felt like it was aimed at him on a mental level, even though his comrades are suspecting Kaneda to have the red and yellow capsule. The latter perked up at the question.

  
  


"The pill? That pill?" Kaneda asked back, and for some reason, a very tense aura circulated in the room, making Nimura hold his breath. Kaneda craned his neck to see Ryu.

  
  


"No...I actually lost that pill." He replied, and while he was facing Ryu, Nimura's mind was swirling like a powerful typhoon. Because he's the one that has the pill. He swapped it from the school's nurse office without Kaneda's knowledge. He still has the red and yellow pill in his jacket pocket this very moment. Sweat begins to form on his head as he realizes the tough spot he put Kaneda in. And how hard it was going to get him out over the pill he has. But what should he do? What is he going to do?

  
  


"Oh you did huh? Well you listen to me." Ryu says assertively, gaining half of Kaneda's attention. "We're part of an Underground Resistance Organization, and-!" 

  
  


"DON'T RYUSAKU!!! WE CAN'T TRUST HIM!!!" Tokumei boomed, interjecting Ryu from revealing who they are to the gang leader. Aiko stepped up.

  
  


"Think of the consequences it can cause if we tell this kid of our identities and cause as anti-government rebels. Who is to say that he isn't a spy of some sort?" Aiko implies, eyeing Kaneda with suspicion. Guilt, frustration, fright, irritation, and dread were internally battling each other within Nimura's mind and gut. Kaneda hates the government as much as his comrades do. Being a spy is not the type of position he would take if he resents the government of Neo-Tokyo. He wanted to say something, speak out his own opinions, but his throat felt locked, his mind was a discombobulated wreck, he was fighting a war within his brain.

  
  


"QUIET!!!" Ryu yelled to his comrades, trying to keep order as well as getting information out of the teenager as nonviolent as possible. And maybe to a higher extent, get him to join their ranks considering the military are now adding him to their list of targets.

  
  


"Look I'm sorry. I put it into my pocket, but then I fell into the canal.  _ SPLASH! _ ...Remember?" Kaneda responds, lying about how he lost the pill in the canal which made Nimura look back at him in surprise.

  
  


_ 'He's lying in order to cover up that he really lost the pill- rather me taking the pill without him seeing me. It's only getting me more worked up as he is lying his way out of this but the Resistance has other methods of getting information out of him. I need to do something to make Kaneda stay clear of this! Yet at the same time I cannot reveal to anyone that I have the pill on me. Fuck what am I going to do!?'  _ Nimura shouted in his mind, fighting the urge to pull his hair due to the pressure and stress. He was also fighting the very urge to clutch his rosary in this tense time. He never felt like choosing sides before nor would he ever do that.

  
  


"I don't believe you." Ryu answered back, narrowing his eyes at the delinquent. Nimura's nerves felt like they were on fire from the back and forth. The atmosphere in the room plummeted, making it feel chillier and heavier to breath. Kaneda seemed unfazed by it.

  
  


"The way that little creep Takashi kept going on about it, I had to steal it from him." Kaneda says, sporting a frown as his elbow supported his face up from the table. "What was it?"

  
  


"Ryu, you're wasting valuable time!" Kei protested as she put her hands on the table to express her frustration. 

  
  


"Kei is right. This isn't anything like you!" Tokumei argued, agreeing with his comrade's words. But their radical points did not sway Ryu at all, nor did he even listen to them as he stared down at Kaneda, and it only made Nimura become more alert of what was going on.

  
  


"You really don't know do you?" Ryu interrogated, his gaze becoming intense while ignoring the heated protests of his comrades, and notably Nimura's concerned expressions. What made the burgundy haired teen pale was when Ryu moved his hand to his as if to pull something out, and Nimura was all too familiar with this.

  
  


"I keep worrying about my bike. Could someone go and get it for me?" Kaneda mused out in a whine. What the hell? Did he just seriously say that out loud!? In front of  _ them _ !? Why does Kaneda always do and say the most ridiculous things that could put his life at risk!? Nimura is on the verge of breakdown as his comrades are now arguing with Ryu on what to do with his childhood friend. His breath was caught in his throat from the emerging chaos.

  
  


_ 'Come on Mura, think of something!' _

  
  


"A corpse- his corpse, could tell us as much as this kid will!" Kei shouted with urgency.

  
  


_ 'Nimura say something! To change their opinions of him! Do you want Kaneda to end up dead because of this!?' _

  
  


"This guy isn't taking this interrogation seriously, perhaps if we use more arbitrary methods we can't coerce him into talking." Aiko suggested facing Ryu, who was still gazing at Kaneda.

  
  


_ 'Why haven't you opened your mouth right now!? Kaneda is in a life and death situation! Your loyalty to Kaneda is thicker than blood, he is the first person you ever made friends with alongside Tetsuo, you stood with since childhood, one of the first people wanting to know who you were, and you are family to him who has always watched your back! Now...stand up and fight for Kaneda's life!'  _ Nimura's conscience reasoned within his mind, making him stop. Little did he know, Kaneda was watching him, and despite the anger he still has for Nimura, he's worried for Nimura's well being at the moment and seeing how troubled he is in grasping the situation.

  
  


"I could get you the truth! Give me a half hour with him!" Tokumei implied, fist clenched and teeth grinding together.

  
  


"It's not that urgent at least...yet. Let's remember which side we're on." Ryu replies, making the present resistance members minus Nimura, looking at him in confusion and astonishment. 

  
  


"Poor bike, all alone in the dark, don' t cry. My poor little bike." Kaneda mutters in a parent like tone, caring so much about the well being of his bike. 

  
  


_ 'Kaneda is going to be the death of me…' _ Nimura trails off in his mind because of Kaneda's whining for his bike in a situation like this. "Ryu we need to have him stay with us. He's here now, has been involved in the situation of the encounter with the military, and now knows of my involvement here. So he needs to stay under us." Nimura said with no hesitation or second thoughts.

  
  


Kaneda raises his head up slightly, taking relevant interest in his friend's decision. Kei and the others looked at him as if he were a mad man. 

  
  


"Nimura, you can't be simply suggesting that this kid-" Mumei began but was interrupted by Ryu's hand, signalling him to wait and let the burgundy haired teen continue

  
  


"I know that I am apart of this organization and that I fight for the cause, but I also tried to keep the promise of keeping my friends involved in this and out of harm's way. But I failed to keep that promise tonight. He's one of my best friends who is now involved in this, and now that he's here with us, I don't want anything to happen to him." Nimura explains, then taking in a brief inhale before continuing. "The military painted a target on his back since that night at the canal, and they almost caught him today at the educational institution that we attend. I don't care of the consequences, but for now Kaneda needs to stay!" The burgundy haired teen clarified, for the sake of Kaneda's safety, and his loyalty to him as well.

  
  


The Resistance were in trepidation and deep concentration as they let Nimura's words sink in. Never had they let in an outsider without the approval of Nezu into their organization. But then again on Ryu's behalf, it was also his mission to contact Nimura to get to Kaneda, although that played out differently. Kei was very unsure about this whole ordeal. While she respects Nimura and is acquainted with him, she is stuck on a decision of letting his friend whose identity is unknown into their organization, and whose attitude reeks of arrogance and playboy. Aiko...she has no idea on how to grasp this situation because this is completely different when they would recruit someone through Nezu who is loyal to the cause. But Kaneda's case is different, considering he was involved with Ryu, Kei, and Nimura on the assignment to retrieve Takashi. But now...she remains uncertain as Ryu is the one to decide.

  
  


An exhale is heard from the male sitting on the chair. "Fine. We'll allow him to stay here. But even so, this kid is the last alibi we have on that government capsule." Ryu concludes. Nimura's nerves were calming down to a minimum, as he sees the older male instruct Kei for where Kaneda is staying within their base.

  
  


Without noticing, Kaneda has been looking at Nimura the whole time through his explanation. And despite the whole tense setting and unanswered questions in his head, he sees just how devoted and loyal Nimura is to him. And honestly, he felt content with this. Although, Nimura still has to tell him everything that has happened without his knowledge.

  
  
  


**~~COLONEL~~**

  
  


Just as the Colonel closes the door to the laboratory, his watchman bows in acknowledgement before looking at the authoritarian figure.

  
  


"Sir, about the accident at the Olympic site…" He trails off.

  
  


"Accident…?" The Colonel repeats, narrowing his eyes into a glare at his watchman before beginning to walk down the silent corridor. The latter shook slightly before taking the courage to continue his report.

  
  


"That's what the media announced in the reports sir." The suited male added. The Colonel's eyebrows furrowed, face scrunched up in fury after hearing his lower rank state this.

  
  


"Have you seen any of the television coverage? Every news station has made a report about the military's covert operation in the Olympic site," The Colonel says gruffly, his blood boiling at how could the media get complete access of the military's secret involvement.

  
  


" **THAT WAS NO ACCIDENT!!!** " The Colonel hollers as he turns around to angrily face his subordinate, who froze in terror at the older man's verbal explosion. "Those news reports were all thoroughly briefed detail after detail, by someone who has access to the most top secret information! You need to be vigilant!" He yells, all control of his temper gone because of this ridiculous ordeal. 

  
  


"Y-Y-Yes sir!" The watchman choked out, in utter shock at the authoritarian man's outburst. The Colonel stomped down the hall after the former's reply. 

  
  


"Once you find any leads on the traitor, report to me immediately!" He orders the shaking subordinate who only bowed in reply. The Colonel makes his way further into the facility, until reaching a special door named A-1, also known as the baby room. When he stepped inside, the room he entered had a different environmental atmosphere. The room was colored in a baby blue, decorated with stars, planets, rainbows, rocket ships, unicorns, and other objects that represented a child-like theme. 

  
  


After making his presence in the room known, he saw a lone figure, with wizened and wrinkled features, pale gray skin, white hair with the body of a child. It was none other than Takashi, respectively number 26. The Colonel approached Takashi who appeared bored and stoic.

  
  


"Are you feeling better Takashi?" The man asked, albeit in a lower and calmer tone. The prune child nodded.

  
  


"Yes sir, I'm fine." Takashi replied timidly. He lifted his gaze up to his caretaker with shyness. "Did you...bring me anything sir?"

  
  


"Not today." The Colonel responds, turning his attention to the room and all around it.

  
  


"Can I...watch the television?" Takashi asks, a little nervous while asking for a small desire to curb his boredom. "I want to watch airplanes and dogfighting."

  
  


"You have my permission to watch television, but not airplanes and dogfighting. Nothing that will excite you." The Colonel implies, giving the wrinkled child a knowing tone as if to let him know of the consequences of watching hyperactive and tense programs, increasing the child's heart rate which could leak out his psychic powers. "Where is Masaru?"

  
  


His question was answered after seeing the aforementioned pale, handicapped child in a hovering chair to support his ailing body. He was beside a large pink bed, overseeing  _ someone _ .

  
  


"Tell me Masaru," The Colonel called as his dress shoes echoed on the floor of the room. "How is Kiyoko at the moment?" Masaru glanced towards the authoritarian man as he was beside him.

  
  


"Yes sir. She has just woken up." After Masaru's answer, the Colonel looked down on the mattress, revealing a much more frail and pale child similar to Masaru and Takashi, with white hair that was styled in ponytails, in a light colored hospital gown, holding a doll. Her eyes widened as the Colonel came into her vision. But at the same time she was grateful that the man taking care of them had come to see her, because...she had to tell him something very important and discreet.

  
  


"I had a dream…" The bed ridden girl, named Kiyoko, announces weakly. This caught the Colonel's full undivided attention as he took a seat next to her bed, telling her to inform her about her dream.

  
  


"I dreamed of Akira." Was what left the girl's mouth. All forms of calmness and serene peace vanished immediately, being replaced with a vile, dark and cold atmosphere after the mentioning of that specific name.

  
  


" **_AKIRA!?_ ** " The Colonel shouted in surprise and repulse. His expression flabbergasted, horrified, and perplexed as Kiyoko mentions the name of Akira. This was the one thing that put him on edge. The one thing that he has done time and time again to keep secret from the public. But the fact that she had dreamt of 'Akira' is a very bad omen. 

  
  


"He will  **_Awaken_ ** soon." Kiyoko muses out, beginning to dose out unexpectedly as the Colonel is now overwhelmed by such sudden news. He's on his feet instantly to further interrogate the child.

  
  


"WHEN!? WHEN IS THIS GOING TO HAPPEN!? KIYOKO!!!" The Colonel asked desperately, wanting to know more information so he can further prepare himself for the high end danger on the horizon, but her falling back asleep made him pale.

  
  


"Soon…" She whispered, before closing her eyes, falling into deep slumber. The Colonel stood up, adding more tension to the lingering silence swirling in the room. Masaru felt anxious at the Colonel's refusal to say anything. Before anyone could say a word, the older man stomped out of the room.

  
  


He walked down the corridor in an intimidating fashion, his expression inflamed and stern, completely engulfed in a set mindset to vanquish the evil that threatens to take place. This aura of anger felt so powerful that it caught the attention of another watchman of his, who was baffled by this before catching up to his superior.

  
  


" **THIS IS AN EMERGENCY!!! CODE RED!!! ALERT ALL PERSONAL!!!** " The authoritarian official thundered, his voice sounding like an alarm that could be heard from the next floor over. The poor subordinate couldn't fully understand the Colonel's order for a code red situation but was scared to disobey the now verbally aggressive and intensely furious male that erratically made his way down the hallways of the facility.

  
  


"Damn it! This shouldn't have happened so soon! I expected to have more time!" The older male states, his nerves and stress skyrocketing from what was told to him. First the escape of the miserable little upstart, then the explosion of the Olympic site in the Old city, concluding there is a traitor in the parliament, and now this...the awakening of Akira from Kiyoko's premonition powers. Just what more could go wrong tonight?

  
  


**~~NIMURA~~**

  
  


The burgundy haired teen was walking beside Kaneda and Kei, giving the former a room within the Resistance's hideout. Despite all that, Nimura still felt the anger that Kaneda has repressed since the meeting. Nimura knew that the fact that this being hidden from his friends would have serious consequences, especially hiding it from Kaneda and Tetsuo. Now that this has been revealed to a certain childhood friend and leader, it's evident that the consequences are present.

They walked up to a door in the hallway, with Kei stopping in front of it.

  
  


"In here." She conveys as she opens the door. 

  
  


"Is this your room?" Kaneda asks as he points to the door.

  
  


"Yes." Was all the girl responded as she opened the door to let the delinquent inside, followed by Nimura, then Kei. The room was average, yet neatly organized with a bed on the side, a metal cabinet in the corner with boxes on top, probably containing documents and other miscellaneous papers, a book shelf filled with books, and a white intercom near the door.

  
  


"Hmmm...not very glamorous for someone who leads such an exciting life." Kaneda comments as he looks around the room, mildly judging the way it looks and is Nimura simply shook his head at Kaneda's carefree banter while Kei had an exasperated expression, annoyed by Kaneda's actions and personality in general.

  
  


"I'm staying with him, to keep him safe and to also fill him on us. As risky as that is, Kaneda is not that kind of person to side with the government." Nimura whispers to her. Kei was reluctant on this, but seeing how Nimura isn't the type to lie and how selfless he is to protect Kaneda showed her that Nimura is a unique person. One that wouldn't let this society bring him down to his knees. Kei nodded as Nimura went in the middle of the room near Kaneda.

  
  


"Use this to call us through this intercom if anything important comes up." Kei declares as she points to the white intercom next to her.

  
  


"Huh? You mean you're not staying?" Kaneda asks baffled as he stands beside Nimura.

  
  


Kei smirks wryly as she heads out the room. "I could never look my dear old mother in the eye again if I did." She sneers, heading out the door which surprised Kaneda. He ran to it only for Kei on the other side to slam it shut.

  
  


"Hey! Wait a second!" He cried out, before banging on the door. "Lemme outta here!"

  
  


_ 'Really Kei?'  _ Nimura says in his thoughts as he deadpans. "Kaneda...come on can you stop paying attention to her for one-!"

  
  


"AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!" A loud, ear piercing scream was heard outside the room, cutting off Nimura's words immediately and making his blood and veins run cold at Kei's scream. Nimura instantly ran to the door, bursting it open with Kaneda who rushed at it with enough force to make him slid on the ground. But the moment Nimura glanced to Kei's direction, the next thing he saw was something he'd seen in supernatural comics. His heart puslated louder, eyes widened, skin spotted with goosebumps, hair rising on his neck. He was tormented by the unholy, yet visual phantom figure before them. This thing...or rather person...radiated ambivalence, darkness, fear, and mystery that he felt as if his lungs were void of oxygen. He clutched his rosary as he stared at the eyes of a phantom Kaneda, who was encased in blue light, and in a weird like energy source that felt bewildering and un...godly. Asphyxiation took over his vulnerable state. 

  
  


Kaneda stood beside the other two, just as terrified and lost as the other two. "That's me...burning...what the hell!?" Kaneda chokes out, eyes wide at the reflection of himself in this weird energy.

What made Nimura convulse was when the phantom Kaneda had stared directly at Nimura with scared eyes, as if trying to warn him of something.

  
  


" **A...ki...ra** " The phantom figure uttered out. It made it seem as if it was being just said to the 3 of them which it did, but to the burgundy haired teen, it was a vile warning of some sort. A warning that Nimura couldn't particularly understand because he was ultimately trying to chemically break down how what was in front of him...possible to exist. But one thing was clear, the warning had to do with  _ Akira _ . Just what was so scary and horrific of the name that came out of the figure's mouth? And why...why on Earth was it in the form of Kaneda!?

  
  


However before he could further analyze or question this development, the figure vanished into thin air leaving behind an eerie noise, causing the 3 of them to gasp and yelp.

  
  


"It vanished!" Kei shouted, baffled and shocked at what was just seen. Kaneda had looked back at the 3 of them, but when he saw Nimura's face, he paled as he gulped. Nimura's eyes darken, out of fear, his face convulsing in complete terror with his mouth open, hand grasping his rosary to the point his veins were showing. Kaneda was scared...because Nimura was scared. Kaneda's only trauma, is Nimura's frightened expressions. 

  
  


The burgundy haired teen was lost, he didn't hear the multiple footsteps, the shouting of voices, or even the call of his name. He was in a state of paralysis, due to what he saw and what was said to him. He was no longer content. After all the shit that happened, between Tetsuo's incarceration, Kaneda's exposure to the Resistance, the wild goose chase from last night, and everything that's happened to him in general, he was never more on edge than he is now. The only thing he was at least able to acknowledge was a pat on the shoulder, most likely squeezing him in reassurance before pulling him in the other direction.

  
  


**~~TETSUO~~**

  
  


Groans and pants of pain left his lips. That's what he was currently feeling at the moment. Pain. Pounding, mind boggling pain that was hammering all over his skull as he tossed and turned in his bed. Sweat began to form throughout his body due to the intense pressure and muscle constriction.

  
  


"Aah...my head!" He whined, as he gripped the bed sheets enough to tear it. Tetsuo raises a little bit, trying any type of method to ease the unbearable pain. It felt like waves being released in an excruciating way. Something wasn't right. Whatever tests those fucking doctors did to him, gave him this odd feeling that he was being toyed with mentally and psychologically. 

  
  


Another sharp pain erupted in his brain, eliciting a loud groan of pain as he gritted his teeth. Shattering of glass was heard, before something cool spilled onto his back and hair. He was breathing heavily as he tried to accustom himself what he was going through. There was something else he had thought was bewildering.

  
  


In comparison with his strenuous headaches, he had these weird like dreams, at least that's what he thought. These 'dreams' were showing him a group of 40 children, all playing happily and studying, but as time went by, only a small number of them were in this 'dream', their faces were blurred however. It then switched to him, Kaneda, and Nimura being children, who were drawing with chalk on concrete. Kaneda drew robots, cars, rocket ships, people running a marathon etc. His friend felt excited and energized when he drew things like that, mentioning about going on 'adventures' and 'exploring things'. Then Tetsuo sees himself drawing a family, a house, a city. He drew that explaining he wanted to 'live like a family'. He wanted to know what that was like to be in a family. It then switches to Nimura, and his drawing consists of him, Tetsuo, and Kaneda altogether, embracing their friendship to an extent, as well as drawing a large sun behind them. Nimura's drawing in his 'dream' was very detailed despite being in chalk, and how he drew the 3 of them with sincere and peaceful things always made him wonder of the hidden kindness in Nimura.

  
  


The last sequence then switched to 3 people. Specifically 2 adults and one child. This further confused Tetsuo since he doesn't know who they are nor could he recognize them as their faces were blurred. But this 'dream' was eerie as the adults were distanced from the child. The child went up to them and was about to be embraced, but a dark circular substance was lunging at the 3, and out of last minute, the 2 adults pushed the child away, as the adults were absorbed by the black mass. The child fell further and further as their hand was stretched upward, before the 'dream' began to blur.

  
  


It was very odd and confusing for Tetsuo to get, and the thought only caused his headache to strike him at full force, making him yell in pain.

  
  


"Augh...what the fuck was that? What the hell is going on with me?" He muttered out as he grasped his head, demanding to know about the unknown. It left him with many unanswered questions.

  
  


**~~COLONEL~~**

  
  


_ Inside the Executive Council Chamber of the parliament… _

  
  


"We've financed this "AKIRA" of yours, and so far none of us even know what it is!" A politician argues with discontent. 

  
  


"Could be more specific than 'soon'?" Questioned the parliament official, before continuing with disagreement. "Not that we believe a word of it."

  
  


"There has been no progress in the last 30 years!" Yelled another politician with frustration as he threw his papers on the table. 

  
  


"And just where do you expect us to get all this money from?" 

  
  


"The costs have been exorbitant at the moment, to say the least…"

  
  


"All we have to for our expenditures is that grotesque nursery. And then there's the upcoming Olympics that we need to consider. We must put the war and it's memories behind us. We have no money to spend on ghosts." One politician explained, joining the opposition.

  
  


"THAT'S WHAT I'VE SAID ALL ALONG!!! THE MONEY COULD HAVE GONE TO WELFARE-!"

  
  


"OH SHUT UP OLD MAN!!!"

  
  


"Prime Minister Yamashiro, you don't expect to agree to that-"

  
  


The Colonel slammed his hand on the table roughly, cutting the aggressive banter of the Executive Council to show his authority towards them. "This Bickering is pointless! I didn't summon you all here so I could listen to you argue! However as some of you arrived after the briefing, and may have missed out on vital information, let me repeat myself... **AKIRA WILL ARISE!** " The Colonel states with an undermining tone of warning. The politicians had mixtures of confusion, anger, and nervousness.

  
  


"Our budgetary requests are as modest as possible, given the circumstances. Trim them further by so much as a fraction, I can assure you that ten thousands of people will die." The Colonel elaborates further as he stands. A scoff came afterwards.

  
  


"With what evidence do you even have that pertains to this type of scale Colonel?" The snobbish voice of Prime Minister Yamashiro inquired. This caused the authoritarian figure to narrow his eyes at the head of government.

  
  


"How can you predict something on a large scale that cutting the requested budget would kill a statistical amount of people in such short time? Is this a publicity stunt to gain power in the parliament? Trying to overrun a fairly structured government?" The Prime Minister interrogated as he insulted the high rank military official.

  
  


The Colonel gawked before pure anger blurred his vision. "How dare you make accusation-!"

  
  


"I think the Prime Minister is right. Trying to gain more power through lies and publicity. You're just like former Prime Minister Ni-"

  
  


"No do not mention-!"

  
  


" **Don't ever mention that name in this parliament** ...and how dare you compare me to that man who is the reason we're in this mess. Him and his bloodline is what made Neo-Tokyo and Japan on a political, economic and social crisis." The Colonel growled, untamed and unadulterated rage hung over the room, making every politician on edge, even the Prime Minister.

  
  


After mere moments of silence, the Colonel managed to calm down a little just to say one more final thought. "Hesitate to the budgetary request, and we will once find ourselves rebuilding Tokyo from the ruins...assuming any of us survive."

  
  


He was trying to prevent anymore bad omens and damage to the already squandering state of Neo-Tokyo, as the war and the former Prime Minister...were the causes of the downfall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alot to take in huh? Even the Colonel is getting heat from his fellow politicians and there's alot of things happening with Tetsuo right now and is the catalyst to what he will be doing soon.
> 
> Nimura's air of content is cracking chapter after chapter. Next time on Chapter 19!


	19. Escaping Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With many things revealed to the open, the balance is starting to crumble and things aren't looking too good for the society of Neo-Tokyo at the moment. A quarrel between two childhood friends, a Resistance undermining the government, and the rising of a teen with unknown powers. 
> 
> Get ready to crumble!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Guys! I'm going to be honest this chapter is a long chapter, and I had been going back and forth changing ideas here and there but now I finalized it. I changed some parts from this chapter that will be in the next chapter. But other than that enjoy this exciting chapter!
> 
> I DO NOT OWN AKIRA. ALL CHARACTERS AND MATERIALS ARE OWNED BY OTOMO KATSUHIRO.  
> OCS BELONG TO ME.

**~~NIMURA~~**

  
  


"Akira!?" Ryu shouts with surprise as he stares at Kei who was in concentration of her thoughts.

  
  


"That's what 'he' uttered out." Kei responds, glancing at Ryu.

"Not your run-of-the-mill visitor, was he?" Ryu asked, as he studied Kei's expression.

  
  


"No. It was weird...bizarre…" Kei trails off as she ponders in deep concentration of what she witnessed alongside Kaneda and Nimura. "So bizarre to the point that Nimura was hypnotized by that phantom version of Kaneda." She added with seriousness in her tone.

  
  


"You sure it wasn't a hologram?" Ryu asked as he leaned on the metal bars of the bed.

  
  


"No...it was a presence...I _felt_ _'him'_." Kei states, her voice putting emphasis on felt him, as if it were an odd supernatural force of something.

  
  


"Could it have been the kids doing?" Ryu turned around to face Kei with his question.

  
  


"I don't think so. He was scared as well. He seemed some way similar to Takashi’s energy, and yet...different.” Kei replied, her gaze intense to the ground as she put her fingers on her chin to continue thinking of the entire ordeal, who was confused and appalled by how something like that could scientifically happen.

  
  


“Akira?” Ryu questioned more onto the subject. 

  
  


"Don't ask me…" Kei simply shrugs as she was unable to come up with a theoretical answer at the moment.

  
  


"Just make sure to keep a close eye on our guest." Ryu concludes as he makes his way to the door, with Kei agreeing wholeheartedly after the situation just got more bewildering.

  
  


And with that conversation coming to an end, another one in a room with two teenage bikers was brewing with tension and angst, yet neither one has said a single word. It wasn't a good sign either.

  
  


Nimura had been very silent since he saw... _that_. He was completely lost in thought and frankly horrified at what unraveled. What he saw was no dream or nightmare. What he saw was real, and it was in the form of Kaneda. His veins and blood were still cold from the encounter, goosebumps still present on his skin, and he hadn't stopped clutching his rosary since then, feeling the beads between his fingers and hand. Just what the hell appeared in front of him? Was it a mirage of some sort? But that wouldn't make sense because the 3 of them saw the burning phantom of Kaneda, and they felt the frightened waves of energy the phantom was releasing. So how the hell did it appear in front of them?

  
  


This was much more mystifying than the incident a week ago with Takashi and the military. Between Takashi's psychic powers and that phantom's wavelengths, it wasn't no coincidence. But seeing all of this in one week, something was coming. Something big, evil, and vile. What disturbed Nimura more was when the phantom Kaneda looked at Nimura's eyes and uttered the name **_Akira_ ** . He can only deduce that the catalytic danger is coming in the form of **_Akira_ **, and his instincts told him that there isn't much time left if that phantom gave a vague warning. 

  
  


"Nimura…" The solemn voice of Kaneda calls out, making the burgundy haired teen snap out of his unorganized thoughts to look at his childhood friend. But he had a glare on his face, and it made Nimura unsettled. "What the hell is going on? How the fuck did you get involved with these guys?" Kaneda asked, getting up to sit at the edge of the bed, staring at the burgundy haired teen with the glare.

  
  


Nimura had stood silent for a moment, conjuring his thoughts together out of the already disorganized brain of his. He knew sooner or later that Kaneda was going to interrogate him for all that has happened, and why he kept this a secret. As he was going through this turmoil, Nimura put on an unemotional face and faced Kaneda.

  
  


"I have my reasons for joining. I joined this organization for my own standards and goals." Nimura replied, his gaze boring into Kaneda's eyes, while the latter continued to stare.

  
  


"Goals huh? What kind of goals? Because I'd like to know those goals of yours for joining these people." Kaneda questions, sitting on the bed firmly. Nimura bit the inside of his cheeks from that answer. Clearly the burgundy haired teen did not want to have this conversation at the moment regardless if this was his childhood friend and leader.

  
  


"That's not something you should be concerned with." And before he knew it, he let those words slip out of his mouth coldly. And Nimura's mind went into endless dread after he just said those words without thinking, he realized he let his annoyance get into his mind.

  
  


"Wait what? What you'd say!?" Kaneda's voice raised, clearly shocked and now more frustrated as his glare deepened at Nimura. The repressed anger that was once cooling came back with a fiery revenge. And Nimura now knew this was going to be unavoidable.

  
  


"I'm saying that this isn't related to the gang. This isn't gang business, this is anti-government matters-"

  
  


"Bullshit! There's more to it than that but you don't wanna say why! And technically you're part of the gang so it is gang business with the shit you're hiding from us!" Kaneda cut off the burgundy haired teen, now standing up with his glare unwavering from the former. Nimura bit inside his mouth hard enough to draw blood, as things were starting to go out of control, he was left at an impasse because now he doesn't know what else to say. And now Kaneda was silently testing Nimura's loyalty in some form.

  
  


"So you knew those two back at the canal before that happened right? So those times you said 'I have to take care of something important with the small business' it was because of those two and the Resistance right?! Because the last time I talked to Kenji, he told me he hadn't seen you on the nights you said you had to leave for important business matters!" Kaneda explained, gritting his teeth as his voice got louder. And Nimura knew that there was no point in trying to steer the conversation to another direction. "How long have you hid this from me? From the gang?"

  
  


Kaneda's question made Nimura feel sick to the stomach, because the answer that he has in his mind was for sure going to make Kaneda shocked, and question him further of who he really is with in terms of affiliation.

  
  


"5 months...I have been with the Resistance for 5 months." Nimura responds, and Kaneda's breath hitched in utter revelation. The burgundy haired teen's response was met with lingering, uncomfortable silence. And as Nimura waits for the Capsule leader to answer, he notices just how lost Kaneda is right now. The myriad of emotions that he is experiencing at the moment.

  
  


"What the fuck Nimura…? 5 months...5 fucking months!? You've been doing shit with them for that long-" Kaneda stopped himself in his furious rant, as he thought of the past times Nimura had stepped out over the course of the aforementioned number of months until it clicked. "So...the time that we were celebrating Jin's birthday...and 2 hours into the birthday Takeyama told us that you had to step out for something business related," He scowled deeply at Nimura. "That night was when you joined these guys right!?"

  
  


Now it was Nimura's turn to be surprised. How was he able to deduce the smallest details from a vast period of time and sum it up to this? Was Kaneda even drunk that night when he went to meet up Nakamura? How was his childhood friend able to complete this fact with most of the details setting the path to him joining the Resistance?

  
  


"Yes and no Kaneda." Nimura responded, and this confused and aggravated Kaneda, but the Capsule leader sensed Nimura had more to say with that reply, so he willingly kept his boiling anger at bay to hear the rest. "I joined the Resistance under that doctor who had checked up on me for those _15 minutes_ and was the one who asked me to join the Resistance 6 months ago." If there was a word for a combination of enraged and shocked, it would perfectly describe Kaneda's expression right now. Eyebrows angrily furrowed, eyes widened, and lips apart from the information, face scrunched up.

The air plunged several degrees down and more tense to breath.

  
  


"He was the reason I joined the Resistance, at the cost of finding out and capturing Kazunari-"

  
  


"Wait a minute hold the fuck up, that doctor that was alone with you had asked you to join them!? So you're telling me that you joined intentionally!" Kaneda shouted at what was unveiled to him, now stepping up a little closer to Nimura, who now had his bangs covering his eyes.

  
  


"Kaneda you need to let me fini-!"

  
  


"That night we brought you back from the hospital, at the dorm I asked you if you were alright and if anything was wrong. You said yes you were okay. In reality you were lying! You lied to me, Tetsuo, and the gang of what went on that day!" Kaneda yelled, voice beginning to echo from the rampaging anger. The burgundy haired teen remained silent. A part of Kaneda felt a pang of guilt from doing this to his best friend, but a majority of him was still furious about the things he was left in the dark of. "First this whole goose chase last week, that strange little freak, Tetsuo's disobedient ass, fucking skinhead showing up and almost catching me, and now you hiding serious shit from the gang! WHAT'S **_NEXT!?_ ** What the hell happened to you man!? Are you really loyal to the Capsules!? Do you not trust us anymore!? Why Nimura!?" 

  
  


"BECAUSE," Nimura hollered out in an irritated tone as he slammed his fast onto the table, breaking the glass cup of water from his fist unintentionally self harming himself in the process as food was thrown off the table from the impact. This and Nimura's frustrated tone made Kaneda froze, his veins running cold with adrenaline and anxiety. "The reason why I joined was to track down and capture Kazunari! The very psychotic bastard who fucking tortured me for an imaginable amount of hours! I joined because I also wanted to find out the truth behind my parents and my family! I joined because that bastard…." He swallowed thickly, trying to calm himself from the rushing wave of emotional anger that threatened to consume him. "That bastard had made it clear in my time there that if I were to somehow make it out of that warehouse alive, he would still forever haunt me, and...had planned on using and harming the people who are close to me." Nimura explained, eye contact not breaking from Kaneda's. 

  
  


The latter however listened and observed Nimura's response to the overwhelming questions he interrogated with. And listened to the blunt and agitated responses. And the more Nimura told him, the more guilt, remorse, and stupid Kaneda felt for lashing out at his best friend. He realized all the problems that he and Nimura had encountered, should've not been taken out on his childhood friend, but at the same time he couldn't be able to fully take it since he doesn't know how to handle emotion well. But now those 3 feelings were hitting him hard.

  
  


"The last thing I need is for any of the people I'm close with...to end up getting hurt or worse by the hands of that monster. Now Tetsuo is taken into custody by the military, and who knows what is going on between them and Tetsuo." Nimura exhaled as he said those words, and Kaneda let out a grunt of surprise at the first half of what his friend told him. "And if I wasn't loyal to you, I would have already given that yellow and red pill to them." After saying that he took out said capsule pill from his jacket pocket and showed it to Kaneda who didn't even have time to react.

  
  


"I took this pill without your knowledge because I wanted to know more about this object in my hand. Another reason for taking it without your knowledge or permission was because I didn't want you to have a fucking target behind your back. But my efforts were futile, and now the military have painted a target behind your back, so I failed to protect not one, but two of my best friends!" Nimura yelled out the last part, voice cracking. Kaneda stood there, taking everything in while staring at Nimura, but instead of glaring at him he was giving him a look of understanding and sorrow. Because what just came out of Nimura's mouth punctured a hole into his soul. 

  
  


Kaneda felt like shit. He lashed out at his best friend, making him confess who else Nimura is affiliated with, and as well as his possession of the strange pill. But he did this all out of anger instead of being a friend and coming to him in a mature approach. Kaneda realized the whole bike incident between Tetsuo and Takashi, the military chase and climax, the malevolent and disrespectful attitude of Tetsuo, having to flee school because of the skinhead who wanted him arrested, and now Nimura's involvement with a dangerous group alongside _Kei_. But he realized too late how this affected him on an emotional level and instead came out in angry outbursts. Looking at Nimura, he no longer had a stoic and unemotional expression, it was replaced with an anxious, tense, vulnerable and agitated look. Eyes dilated in what appears to be anger and nervousness. It only increased the Capsule leader's guilt.

  
  


"Shit...damn it Mura...Look I'm sorry I didn't mean to-" Kaneda tried to apologize but Nimura signaled his injured and bloodied hand to Kaneda to stop.

  
  


"It's...you have every right to be mad at me for tonight since I held everything with this affiliation from you." He said, before putting the capsule back in his jacket pocket and heading to the door.

  
  


"Huh- wait. Where are you going?" Kaneda asked, baffled by Nimura's abrupt movement. 

  
  


"To clean up the mess I made, and also patch this wound up I made." While it wasn't a full lie, Nimura didn't want to say the other half of the reason, and that is taking a walk for him and Kaneda to recollect their thoughts. Kaneda didn't get the chance to say anything back as Nimura closed the door behind him

  
  


Unfortunately, it left a sense of dread, unsettlement, and remorse on each other's parts. Nothing felt more painful than arguing with each other as friends, not even Nimura's bleeding wound on his hand was able to compete with that emotional pain.

  
  


**~~TETSUO~~**

  
  


Meanwhile in the heart of the megapolis

  
  


Drained. Exhaustion. Agitation. Pained. That's what's going on with Tetsuo this very moment. He's in no mood to deal with anything at the moment. Nor does he even want to do anything. But here he is in cyan hospital scrubs, being escorted by two doctors to another part of the facility. Rather than having a scowl on his face, he had an expression akin to a zombie. Skin pale, eyes drooped low, and just staring ahead into vacancy. All that changed when he felt a sharp ringing pain making him wince and raise his hand to his pounding 'headache'. 

  
  


"Gah! You guys are doctors...can't you figure out a way to cure my damn headaches?" Tetsuo groans out, expression convulsing in pain and annoyance.

  
  


"It will be gone soon enough." Doctor Onishi replies to the angsty teen, a caculative look with stern features, eyeing the new test subject. Tetsuo glanced his head around at said doctor with a side glare, suspicious of the professional's words.

  
  


"Yeah sure." Tetsuo scoffed, rubbing his head again after feeling another sharp pain. He looks on ahead, agitation lacing his features. "I have enough trouble thinking already, so don't start messing around with my mind." He quips at them.

  
  


He doesn't know what the hell is going on, nor does he know why he's here. Whatever type of test they conducted on him, it messed up his head, giving him these painful headaches, and earlier those dream sequences.

  
  


Just what the fuck is going on with these scientists?

  
  


**~~RYU~~**

  
  


"The guy isn't in our documents? A suspicious character? Think he's some secret service bloodhound for the government?" Ryu questioned his affiliate comrade. 

  
  


"He's not listed in our files, but maybe he just joined the cause. He's been hanging around for the last week." The comrade answers back just as bewildered and uncertain. Footsteps were heard coming down the stairs, and in view came Aiko who had a black long sleeve shirt, skin tight pants, and small heel boots. She had a gun holster on her left, completed with 3 sets of frag grenades. 

  
  


"Ryu-!" Before she could talk to him, the glass windows immediately shattered, alerting the 3 Resistance members. Ryu and Aiko hastily took cover in the staircase the moment they saw forest camouflage uniforms enter through.

  
  


" **IT'S THE ARMY!!!** " The anonymous comrade hollered in paranoia. Unfortunately for said comrade, the group of soldiers held him at gunpoint, keeping him rooted to the ground. 

  
  


"PUT UP YOUR HANDS!!! RESISTANCE IS POINTLESS!!!" The soldier commanded the frozen male, screaming and ordering him to do as told. Ryu swore silently with a pistol in his hand, while Aiko was quietly taking out a grenade from her holster.

  
  


"I REPEAT, PUT UP YOUR HANDS!!!" He yelled out once again before turning to his subordinates. "Seal off all exits!"

Meanwhile the comrade eyed both Ryu and Aiko. The soldier caught the comrade looking tentatively at another seemingly person. "Hold on, there's more people upstairs!" And just as the soldier declares that, the comrade pulled out his pistol, but was caught by another soldier seeing the action. They opened fire, shooting the comrade multiple times with blood and bullets flying and dropping to the floor.

  
  


"Ryu get down!" Aiko whispered yelled before she unhooked the grenade, letting it cook a little before pin and threw it towards the soldiers. It hit someone's head.

  
  


"GRENADE MOVE-" The shout went unheard along with the yells as a loud explosion rocked the floor, echoing the entire building. A body of a soldier flew to the wall connecting to the stairs, covered in blood and burnt marks, missing two limbs, and his face covered in blood. The body was unconscious and dead.

  
  


"Damn, did you kill every soldier here Aiko?" Ryu asked, slightly shocked by the impact and bloodbath violence in contrast to Aiko who was unfazed yet alert. But before she could respond, coughing and groaning was heard from beneath them, implying only a select few of soldiers survived the explosive impact. "Shit, we need to get out of here and warn the others." Ryu said at a low tone. Aiko nodded before running upstairs alongside the aforementioned male, escaping from the still living soldiers who were recovering.

  
  


**~~NIMURA~~**

  
  


"What the hell was that…?" Nimura trailed off, heavily on edge from that explosion that forced the building to shake and echo. Instantly he ran down the corridor to go back where Kaneda is at. His nerves were on high alert, because that was an explosion of a bomb. It means only one thing...they've been compromised. But how? How did a highly classified location such as this place get scouted out so easily? Was there a mole within the organization? Questions will come later, right now he needs to get to Kaneda.

  
  


Once he got to the corridor of Kei's room, he sees the aforementioned girl go into her room and tell Kaneda of what's happening up there. He joins a moment later.

  
  


"What's up!?" Kaneda asks warily, getting up cautiously and facing the other two.

  
  


"They have found us Neda!" Nimura yells out in reply. Kei adds in her words before the Capsule leader could reply.

  
  


"The Army's found us! Let's go!" Kei commands, concern for their safety. Kaneda didn't have to be told twice as he jumped off the bed and began running behind Nimura and Kei. As they continue running down the metallic hallway, they see Ryu coming from the left corridor.

  
  


"Ryu!" Both Nimura and Kei shout simultaneously. 

  
  


"Kei! Nimura!" He acknowledges back, stopping in front of the trio quickly. 

  
  


"We can't go upstairs! Where else can we go!?" Kei asked as she began to get anxious and frantic due to the closing in of the military. 

  
  


"Underground!" Ryu shouts back firmly, then hands her a gun for her safety. "Don't let them catch you three! Here take the gun!" He adds as Kei looks at the pistol baffled while Kaneda's eyes marvel at the weapon.

  
  


"Wait what about you?" Nimura asked, taking the words right out of Kei's mouth. Kei didn't like that Ryu wasn't going with them, and somewhere else instead. Her anxiety increased as he began to walk backwards.

  
  


"I'll manage with Tokumei, Aiko and the others in eliminating the threat before we can escape and cut them off our trail. We'll manage as soon as you lose them. Contact us...you both know how." Ryu explains, the diversion plan he is sticking with before running down the opposite direction to the heated battle.

  
  


"Kaneda and Kei! We need to get out of here now!" Nimura commanded as he had to get them to safety, snapping Kei out of her trance.

  
  


"Ryu…" She trails off, worried written all over her features. "Ryusaku!" She called to the running man as he turned a corner. Nimura pulled Kei with him alongside Kaneda to head to the room. They open the door, not before hearing soldiers nearby.

  
  


"We need to move now!" Nimura ordered, as Kaneda began opening the sewer lid.

  
  


Kei watched in panic as the soldiers broke down the door not far from where they are located. "Come on hurry!" She urged as Kaneda went down the ladder, followed by Nimura who descended down. With the two in the sewers Kei managed to get in but taking the lid and putting it over the sewers entrance, just as the soldiers bursted into the room.

  
  


Kei places a bomb attached with a wire to the lid, then immediately going down the ladder. "It's in! Let's go!" She says as she runs down the sewage sidelines. Although the first part of her words were meant for Nimura. "Move it!"

  
  


"These days I'm always on the run." Kaneda chimes out, running alongside Nimura who was only focused on getting them and himself out of there.

  
  


The moment they were a good distance away from the hideout, a thundering explosion brightened and reverberated the sewers. It shocked and rattled Nimura like a deer in headlights as his ears popped, but then covered it to prevent the unbearable noise from making him go deaf. Kaneda, was the unlucky one out of the trio.

  
  


"We made it!" Kei cheers, turning around as she uncovered her ears. But her expression changed to puzzled when looking at Kaneda. Nimura uncovered his ears and glances at his childhood friend to see a shriveled and terrified look on Kaneda's face, teeth chattering as his form shook from the after shock.

  
  


"Hey Kaneda are you alright?" Nimura asks, somewhat concerned with the way he was giving that expression.

  
  


"You...you guys could of told me." He said in a hushed tone, as the vibrating noise of the explosion still ringing in his ears. Nimura sighs at the reaction before looking ahead of them. Only thing to do now is move forward. He hopes Ryu, Aiko, and the others escape.

  
  


**~~AIKO~~**

  
  


Bullets flying everywhere, Aiko was beside Tokumei as they were fighting back against the military soldiers who threatened their escape route. Her, Tokumei, Mumei, and Shimasaki were using whatever guns, bullets, and cartridges they have to eradicate every single military soldier. Aiko shot a soldier twice in the torso before stepping back behind a wall.

  
  


"We've gotta cut them off so they can't follow us down our escape route!" Tokumei shouts out, taking cover behind a cargo.

  
  


"I know! We need a plan! Damn it!" Mumei yells back, shooting his submachine gun at the soldiers, catching only one of them.

  
  


A military soldier was going to throw a flashbang but didn't get far as he was shot right in the neck, rendering him unable to breath and fall to the ground choking on his blood. The gunshot came from another Resistance member who joined the party.

  
  


"Ryu!" Tokumei calls out in surprise. Ryu dashes towards where Aiko is at by the wall, nearly getting shot in the process.

  
  


"What's the status!?" Ryu called over to Tokumei, checking his gun to make sure he still has bullets left. 

  
  


"There's like 10 of them over there! There was 15 but we took some of them out!" Tokumei replies back as he reloads his gun.

  
  


"Many of the Resistance militia have been killed or captured. Where's Nimura, Kei, and that boy?" Aiko asks cautiously after she notices that the trio aren't here yet.

  
  


"I sent them away underground so that the military wouldn't catch him. Especially Kaneda." Ryu replies back. "I can't afford to have them capture anymore of our comrades to fall into the hands of the government-"

  
  


"SHIMASAKI!!!"" The blaring voice of Mumei caught wind of the Resistance members. Their expressions contort to shock as Shimasaki received a headshot from one of the military soldiers. Blood dribbled from Shimasaki's head as his darkened and empty eyes stared back into Mumei's now upset ones. 

  
  


"Damn it! We lost one! At this rate we'll be done for!" Tokumei says while firing a few rounds of his pistol. Ryu does the same and shoots rounds from his pistol, hitting a soldier in the stomach before getting shot in the arm himself.

  
  


"Shit!" The older male curses as he retreats back to his hiding spot, looking at his flesh wound bleeding profusely. Cries of shock came from his comrades who saw Ryu's injury.

  
  


"You assholes!" Mumei screams with fury as he got up and began firing multiple rounds from his submachine gun, hitting 3 soldiers, killing one of them. But that in turn ended up getting him hit with bullets as well. He fell flat to the ground, coughing up blood as he was shot.

  
  


"MUMEI!!!" The 3 of them shouts in shock at what just occurred.The more intense it got, the more Aiko began to internally panic. The fact is that they are loosing and dying as the military close in, only makes her tense up because she didn't want to give up everything and lose after all it took to join the Resistance.

  
  


Mumei passed out from the impact and loss of blood thanks to the bullets hitting him in the chest, no doubt piercing any major arteries and organs. Aiko was in complete stress. 

  
  


' _Come on think Hinami! Think! You always have good strategy and tactical mindset-_ ' Her train of thoughts stopped when she saw an RPG launcher, armed beside Tokumei just a few inches away. The distance between them and the soldiers weren't far, but they weren't close either. And after taking out a flash bang grenade of her own, she developed an idea. 

  
  


"Tokumei! Grab that RPG launcher! I've got an idea!" Aiko shouted, prompting said male to take cover and grab the larger weapon to wait on standby. Aiko takes out her flash bang. "When I throw this while Ryu shoots, and blinds them, you shoot the rocket at them, killing each of them in one shot!" She explains to her comrade.

  
  


Tokumei nods to the plan, blowing up the half of this makeshift cafe was their only option to cut them off their escape route. The soldiers stopped firing as their clips were empty or close to being empty. They decided to reload their weapons since the enemy weren't attacking or fighting back. What a mistake the soldiers were thinking.

  
  


"NOW!!!" Ryu began shooting, as Aiko threw a flash bang in the middle of where the soldiers were at. The opposing forces were caught off guard by this and they were not prepared for the flash that appeared before their eyes. Yells and yelps or shock and agony were heard as the stunning light exploded before them.

  
  


Tokumei instantly gets up and pulls the trigger, sending the rocket flying towards the soldier before Tokumei drops to the table again. One of the soldiers began yelling at an incoming rocket coming at them. But it was too late for them to take cover or run. A loud booming explosion impacted the entire makeshift cafe, making the walls and area of the room tremble. The smell of gunpowder, fire, and...burnt flesh whiffed their noses moments later. Taking a look, Aiko saw the damage that was done. The walls were blown out, parts of it burnt from the blast. With that came the bodies of the soldiers, who were dead. One of them was mutilated to the point that their face was burned off along with the front piece of their uniform. Another one laying on the wall, was missing both their arms and one of their legs and the face had dark burn marks from the impact. There were bodies lying on that side in different directions, and they reeked of iron and burnt flesh. 

  
  


"Damn...that plan of yours did more than just clear the place out…." Ryu trailed off in surprise, clutching his arm as he stares. He then diverted his attention to the dead comrades of Mumei and Shimasaki. Melancholy took over the aforementioned male. "Mumei….Shimasaki…" 

  
  


Tokumei let out a hefty sigh, seeing his two dead comrades killed in front of him irked him and made him upset. They lost alot of forces tonight minus Nimura and Kei. To lose two other notable members was a huge blow to the organization and a loss of friendship. 

  
  


"As much as this is terrifying and disastrous to experience at the moment, we have to move and escape before more of them show up." Aiko said in a soft tone, demonstrating sympathy. "If we stay here any longer, the military will catch us after that explosion we made and not only will we be captured or worse, but we'll fail the mission we still have." Her words reasoned to them.

  
  


"...You're absolutely right." Ryu replies back, retaining his mental fortitude. "We have to go...Tokumei let's go." Ryu authorizes, with Aiko in the lead as Tokumei closes the eyes of Shimasaki, then Mumei, before running with the other two en route towards their escape.

  
  


**~~TETSUO~~**

  
  


It was unbearable. That throbbing pain never left his head. It actually got worse, to the point he stopped trying to sleep. He ended up walking away from his bed, yet the pain in his head didn't let him acknowledge that he wasn't in bed anymore. He felt his head pound more when he…somehow unlocked the door, leading him to walk into the blue and white hospital like hallway barefoot, and kept moving forward coming face to face with the doctor. The medical professional gawked in surprise at the teen's appearance.

  
  


"Th-The pain...I can't stand it anymore…" Tetsuo groans out, continuing to walk forward.

  
  


"How….did you get out?" The young doctor asked, baffled and shocked at Tetsuo leaving his room, as the automatic lock was on. 

  
  


Tetsuo ignored the doctor's question as he walked in a wobbly fashion, the pain hitting him like tidal waves one after another. 

  
  


"Wait young man, where are you going!?" The Doctor asked worriedly, touching his shoulder in the process. That was a grave mistake for the man who decided to get Tetsuo's attention. Said teen let out a frustrated and pained growl, and his head began to hurt much more. He noticed blood splattered to the side, and he glanced only to have his face contort to horror and confusion. The body of the doctor was torn open, flesh and muscle tissue ripped apart, blood painting a part of the wall behind him as well as the floor. It was like a wild animal slaughtered this now dead man. The organs, specially the ribcage, intestines, and arteries were exposed to the teen's eyes and he wanted to throw up.

  
  


What the fuck happened!? Did he do that? How the fuck did the doctor get blown up to the point his insides were showing and blood all over the place? What the hell did he do? His brain however chose to throb endlessly, making him cry out in agony before he moved again, forgetting about the blood soaked corpse.

  
  


He didn't know how or what, but he somehow got to the rooftop of this facility. The wind blowing strongly towards him, his unruly and sweat covered hair going back and forth as he looked down. The skyline of Neo-Tokyo illuminated the nighttime sky while he was plotting to escape the 'hospital' that that damn skin head kept him in for hours, while he finds a way to cure this otherworldly headache he has.

  
  


He took this opportunity to go on the ledge. This was all he needed to jump down from where he was standing on. He leaped forward and jumped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a crazy chapter...and this will only get more crazy as it gets to the sewer adventure and a rampaging, power hungry Tetsuo. Not so stoic anymore huh Nimura?
> 
> Oh...the deaths of Mumei and Shimasaki...didn't see that coming right?
> 
> And let's add another swear tally to Nimura swearing.
> 
> Next time on Chapter 20!


	20. Start Of Chaos (Part I)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things just hit another obstacle and all parties are currently in the middle between a rock and a hard place. While this has gotten worse, the escape of Tetsuo leaves yet another rude awakening as he escapes leaving a bloody mess behind...
> 
> The invasion of the Resistance base has left the organization in a hefty pace and are now all separated. Yet Nimura, while having a ice pick and fire arm, can't seem to be able to calm down from the stress overtaking him.
> 
> A mysterious figure appears in the midst of Neo-Tokyo alongside someone else...in regards to a burgundy haired teen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I am so sorry for not updating the story as new things within my life have taken a toll, but I am doing my best to navigate my way around it in order to write my fanfictions I still have in the archive. Welp comes Chapter 20...a looong chapter with multiple changes in points of view and a surprise in the end. Enjoy!
> 
> I DO NOT OWN AKIRA. ALL CHARACTERS AND MATERIALS ARE OWNED BY OTOMO KATSUHIRO.  
> OCS BELONG TO ME.

**~???~**

  
  


The military vehicles were parked alongside ambulance and police vehicles in front of the now compromised hideout formerly owned by the Resistance.

The arrested were coerced and shoved into the large military vans to be sent to prison, while dead members, both of the enemy and military being wrapped in body bags and loaded on stretchers. Despite the successful raid of taking down a majority of the Resistance, however the major targets, along with the boy named 'Kaneda' who he is looking to capture, have escaped.

  
  


The suited male let out a frustrated groan as he failed the objective to capture the boy, the pill, as well as a secondary objective that was tasked to him. And he would have completed it if it were under the right circumstances. 

  
  


His secondary objective was to identify the teenager with undercut burgundy hair.

  
  


He was able to narrow down the different targets of the important figures within the Resistance. Two are dead, while Kaneda and the others have escaped. It also meant the burgundy haired teenager did the same. He didn't get to fully identify him.

  
  


' _Damn it I was so close! I almost figured out who that kid was! If only he turned his face around while he was walking away from the entertainment sector I would be able to know and memorize who he is._ ' The spy grumbled in his thoughts. The circumstances weren't good. He only knew that this kid was present a week ago in the canal of the eighteenth district by the Colonel with the two other members and Kaneda-

  
  


' _Wait a minute...Kaneda and number 26 was shielded by that burgundy haired kid from number 26's psychic outburst as reported by Colonel Shikishima. Then...maybe...just maybe he attends the same school as Kaneda._ ' And the Spy never let that thought go to the back of his mind. The identity of that teenager will soon be uncovered.

  
  


**~~NIMURA~~**

  
  


While the escape from the hideout was fairly easy, it didn't help with the fact that Nimura had been on edge beside Kaneda and Kei through their running in the sewers to a less militaristic area of Neo-Tokyo. It sadly had to be the Harukiya bar. 

  
  


It wasn't like he didn't know the owner of the bar, since he and the gang mark the establishment as Capsule territory, but the thought of his best friend and female comrade being fugitives (and possibly him too if his identity has been exposed) could have this entire city on high alert by the squalid society and government. By taking refuge in a place that is open to the public even if it's de facto owned by the gang, it could still cause trouble. Because who knows what individual could be a secret service bloodhound under the pretense as a customer or drunkard alcoholic. 

  
  


Unlike Kaneda who was calm and casanova, Nimura and Kei were cool headed, but on high alert for anything suspicious. Nimura had an ice pick in one hand in his jean pocket, and the other hand in his jacket pocket held a Beretta M92 pistol, not on safe mode. Call him paranoid, but tonight has been a nightmare. Appearing calm on the outside with his signature blank face, yet his entire body is littered with goosebumps. He didn't know what to expect and he isn't going to try to think things will be alright.

  
  


Nimura isn't one to commit killings, he isn't a person that's bloodthirsty, nor would he wage war against anyone for no reason because he is not a killer. He doesn't take anyone else's life. But being in the resistance and training under them for 5 months, self defense is the major thing that stood out to him in the training when it came to guns. Because fighting and martial arts were his strengths, Ryu and Tokumei taught him how to shoot and use weaponry and since then became self sufficient and independent in training with using firearms and combining it with his own trainings. So now...if he were to take someone's life away, it would be out of self defense and protecting someone else.

  
  


"Because I don't like it here!" Kei hissed at Kaneda's squawk for choosing the Harukiya bar. Nimura had once again decided to associate himself into the conversation again as his mind raced with uncertainty and hollowish thoughts.

The door opened, revealing the bartender and manager to the 3 teens in waiting.

  
  


"Sorry to keep you folks waiting." The bartender lets out as he smiles at the angsty teens. Nimura paid half-assed attention to him while focusing on other things around him.

  
  


"Here you guys go. It may not be fancy, as it is surely cheap. But better than nothing right?" The older man laughs while putting a hand on his waist.

  
  


"WHAT WAS THAT!?" Kaneda shouts dramatically at the man, trying to mess with him and play games.

  
  


Nimura feels like slapping the stupidity out of Kaneda for his shenanigans right now.

  
  


"I just said-!" The Bartender tried to respond to Kaneda's obnoxious and mockful get up, but the Capsules leader kept on.

  
  


"WHAT WAS THAT SPEAK UP!!!"

  
  


"I SAID YOU CAN HIDE OUT IN HERE!!!"

  
  


"OH WELL WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO!?" Kaneda feigns innocence as the now red faced Bartender huffs in annoyance at the ruffian's behavior, much to Nimura's and Kei's chagrin. 

  
  


"This is ridiculous..." Kei seethes, covering her face with her hand as she is fed up with all of these new shenanigans. Nimura simply sighs as the Bartender moves out of the way to allow the three teens inside.

  
  


The three teens made their way inside, and Nimura did his best to keep his anxiety in check. He is unsure if Kaneda is still mad at him or what. He is doing what he can to remain calm and strong on the outside.

  
  


He is hoping for no more crazy shit to happen tonight. 

  
  


' _I hope Ryu, Aiko, Tokumei, and the others are alright._ '

  
  


**~~TETSUO~~**

  
  


His head was throbbing endlessly, to the point he kept panting. He couldn't find a way to get rid of the radical headache hammering all over his skull. It got unbearable that he leaned on the walls of structures as support to keep him standing up and to walk his way through.

  
  


Nothing except his hospital shirt and short scrubs, he walked passed abandoned buildings and littered streets as his bare feet lifted him forward, not focusing on anything except the pain. His gut felt nauseous, mixing with an ominous lingering darkness that is making him highly uncomfortable. What the fuck is wrong with him? Why is he all on edge, irritated and in pain? Why won't it go away and leave him alone?

  
  


Does he deserve this? Is this a curse of some fucking sort? Why does he have to suffer for everything? What the fuck did those damn doctors do to him!? **_Why does it hurt so damn much!?_**

  
  


He honestly is a mess and sadly he knows it. His rising anger isn't helping the headache any better, neither is the boiling of his blood. He doesn't realize the small objects beside him being subconsciously lifted with his powers, just continuing to push forward.

  
  


His hair, and the rest of his body is drenched in cold sweat, lungs burning as he is running out of air from panting because of the cruel pain. He lets out a sad, pathetic chuckle. Just how reckless and messy he looks? Just what would- no he could give zero fucks about what Kaneda and the gang would think about him right now and what he did at the medical facility, but what would Nimura think of him now? Or more frighteningly, what would Kaori think of him right now? The racing and paranoid thoughts within his head sent powerful waves of pain in his brain, making him yell out in agony. Drool dripped from his mouth as he clenched his teeth from the striking head pains.

  
  


"Fuck- it hurts like hell…" He said out shakingly, once again regaining his composure then wiping his drool with the sleeve of his scrub. He sees light not far from him, though he is unsure if he wants to approach it. Judging from the angle and elevation, the light has to come from a light pole. He trudged forward, dragging his feet as there is no other option if he wants to find shelter and most of all pills to suppress and get rid of these damn headaches that torment him.

  
  


The moment he got to the light, his eyes squinted, grunting as another rush of pain came to his head. This time he knew it was the light that made his head hurt due to the brightness affecting his eyesight. His shoulder landed on a metal wall beside him, catching his breath as the unbearable continued wrecking havoc in his brain. He felt so weak, so hurt, so...hopeless. He couldn't function.

  
  


The sounds of rumbling and bike motor were heard from a distance, seeing lights coming up ahead on the road. Anxiety and nervousness pooled throughout his body like knives. His heart started to beat rapidly at how he was seen all fucked up in public. He couldn't see who those bikers were from afar and that didn't help his own being. He had hoped it was his gang coming down that road, they could help him, take him from wherever the fuck he's at. Another part of him thought that he didn't want that to be his gang due to the physical and mental condition he is in. He didn't want to be seen weak and helpless in front of them. Another part of him...was internally praying that they weren't an enemy biker gang.

  
  


The moment the bikes were in vision, Tetsuo's eyes started playing tricks on him, or rather his vision was becoming slightly blurry. He felt like he was in big fucking trouble for this, but for a split second when his eyes made out an image of a helmet with a clown painting on it, he wished he went blind right there and then. 

  
  


He stood very still despite being very noticeable in the light, watching the clown bikers pass by in a group. He watched with trepidation as they mounted the roads of the abandoned district. However the screeching of tires caught Tetsuo's ears and he whipped his head to see a very familiar clown biker having his bike stop abruptly. It is the very same clown that he beat the shit out of and nearly killed just last night. He froze as the biker, remembering his name as Chip giving him an unreadable expression.

  
  


"Hey." Chip called out, tone laced with malice. Tetsuo felt a swirling mixture of nervousness, tension, and unadulterated anger in his gut. Chip's sudden stop caught only 3 other clown members to join in. Tetsuo felt like beating them all up. Blood boiling at the sight of the enemy bikers, he tried to restrain himself from clenching his fists. Chip pulled out a chord with bolts, screws and other sharp objects.

  
  


"Didn't think I woulda see your face again so soon. It's all gonna be over soon though kid, ya understand?" Chip mocked as he switched hands with the makeshift weapon. Said teen was loosing his patience, staring furiously at the gangster while leaning on the wall for support. He was not gonna let this fucking bastard run him down right here in the middle of nowhere.

  
  


"You shoulda killed me when you had the chance, but now it's too late." Chip added while pointing at the glaring teenager. "You and that burgundy haired kid is also gonna get it."

  
  


No he did not-!

  
  


" **Shut the hell up! My head's splitting!** " Tetsuo growled out, his eyes seeing pure red in his vision as he stood up, no longer leaning on the metal wall behind him. Muscles locked and tense with tan fists clenched so deeply, How dare this fucking son of a bitch threatened to hurt Mura!? He's going to make this motherfucker pay! **He's going to kill him for saying that!**

  
  


"Nah, it's not splittin. But it's gonna be!" Just as Chip replied, his arm swings back to launch the chord of bolts and screws. Tetsuo felt an anxiety rush beside the pure rage in his body and he prepared himself from the result. Chip launches the weapon straight to Tetsuo's face. Said teen however expressed a dark look as the sharp object that was about to slash him, snap suddenly into pieces. One of the bolts broke through Chip's visor, making the man shriek out a pained yell before clutching his face through his helmet. Blood dripped out the visor as Chip was facing the floor,causing the other bikers to exclaim in shock.

  
  


Tetsuo snapped, no longer allowing this biker get a chance. He furrowed his eyebrows, eyes concentrated heavily on Chip and felt a huge pile of energy influencing him. It felt odd, strange, yet so similar to when he murdered that hospital staff member on his escape. Is this his...powers? He felt more of this power than the actual dreadful headache and for some reason...he felt content with this rise of power and adrenaline. He focused on Chip, who let out a shrill cry, shocking the other clown bikers.

  
  


"Hey watch out! This kid is onto something weird!" One of them yelled out, feet frozen to the ground as they watched the unholy scene before them.

Chip's cry grew louder as he felt his head in imminent pain and began to grasp his helmet tightly.

  
  


Tetsuo's glare hardened further as he stared at the biker who continued to yell and scream in total agony while he began to kneel a little from the overwhelming pressure. A murderous and vicious glint was in Tetsuo's brown eyes as he carelessly used his powers to end this scum's life. He wanted to kill him. **He wanted to destroy him.** Not a moment later, blood and gore catapulted out of Chip's head, splattering anywhere within the vicinity, causing his clown comrades to yell.

  
  


"Holy shit!" Tetsuo whisper-yelled out as a drop of Chip's blood landed on his cheek. Said gang member dropped to the ground on his knees, blood cascading down from his now crushed head and helmet.

  
  


"Heh...y'know my head's not fucking hurting anymore. How's yours huh!?" He mocked, shouting at the dead corpse. He spat on the ground before narrowing his eyes at the other bikers, rage still present in his eyes. "Hey! You've got what I want don't you!?"

  
  


"Uh…got what?" One of the clowns stammered out.

  
  


"The drug…the one I need to help me feel better..." Tetsuo said to them, trailing off. The bikers looked at each other, unable to come up with a straightforward answer, after just witnessing the murder of their biker comrade.

  
  


" **IS THERE A FUCKING PROBLEM OR WHAT!?** " Tetsuo screamed at them angrily, making the bikers flinch under his unstable and violent ire. 

  
  


"We d-don't have it on us!" The biker forced out. Tetsuo yelped as he grasped his head yet again, the pounding of his head coming back at full force.

  
  


"Ah fuck! The pounding came back, but much stronger this time! Like I could die from it! This is ridiculous." He uttered out, frustrated with the pain and current situation.

  
  


"Wait!" One of them called, uncertain of what he's doing, "We'll g-get you what you need!" Tetsuo glanced back at them, the desire to get the drugs to cure his headache was all that mattered to him at the moment as he eyed the bikers.

  
  


**~~COLONEL~~**

  
  


Shock, aghast, concern are evident on his features as he stands beside Doctor Onishi gazing and studying the mangled and bloodied corpse of a staff with their own eyes. The blood and scent of it made the military figure scrunch up in disgust. 

  
  


"Your opinion?" The Colonel asks while still staring. Said Doctor is flabbergasted at the results before him. Excitement filling his veins.

  
  


"To think that he would have such an unimaginable growth! Far beyond what I expected, for him to **_awaken_ **and amass such power in such short time is magnificent!" The Doctor exclaims. The other scientists were agreeing to Onishi's words as they examined the dead corpse. The Colonel however turned the other way, having a much more negative criticism on Tetsuo's awakening of his powers. He headed down the corridor with Doctor Onishi in tow.

  
  


"He must be included in the series and assigned his own number!" Doctor Onishi chimed in as his excitement of this new experiment getting the best of him.

  
  


"I believe Number 41 is the next available designation…" The tall man replies, his tone cautious, and guarded. He felt a wave of unknown and ominous aura gnawing at him. And with Tetsuo's escape, and raw display of his powers, it rubbed him the wrong way.

  
  


The same wrong way that he got from Akira.

  
  


**~~NIMURA~~**

  
  


If he were to lie to himself right, he'd say he's calm. But he is the complete opposite of calm, and is on edge. Even if the three of them were out of the public eye, it still wasn't enough in the long run. There were a countless amount of things he realized he didn't complete.

  
  


Keeping his Resistance life apart from his Bosozoku life? Failed. Escaping with Takashi to take down the corrupt authoritarian government? Failed. Keeping Kaneda and Tetsuo from getting a target on their backs? Double Failure. Because now he is sinking deeper into this bad omen that has been tossed upon him, stuck to find an apparent reason why.

  
  


And with the discovery of the Resistance base, and most likely the capturing and death of his lower rank comrades, it started to become haywire for him. Now he didn't know if sitting around was a good idea. Is there something else that he can do? And this time keep Kaneda out of danger? Back there at the base was a close call as Kaneda, Kei, and himself were nearly in danger. He knows that next time won't be.

  
  


"I can never get a break can't I?" He asked no one in particular as he made his way through the littered hallway of the secret compartment of the Harukiya. Just as he nears the door of where the trio were staying temporarily, he hears commotion from the door. It sounded like a form of bickering. He decided to eavesdrop.

  
  


"Not this one bit. This room is a pigsty. A clammy pigsty! And that smell…! Unbelievable! There's no water, no toilet, the ceiling so low we can hardly stand upright,” Kei complained. “It’s a rathole!”

  
  


"I suppose you were expecting to be in a place like a plaza with a suite eh?" Kaneda takes in Kei's form as she expresses distress and frustration.

  
  


"I can't fathom just how anyone could live in this place!" She huffed while crossing her arms, feeling squeamish to not relax.

  
  


"So, what's the story on that Ryu guy anyways?" He noticed the way she glared straight ahead to nothingness. "What's _he_ to you?"

  
  


"He's my brother." Kei responds quickly just so this topic can end.

  
  


"What? He doesn't look anything like you." Kaneda looks at her bewildered.

  
  


"That's none of your business." She quips, glancing the other way with no interest. However the moment she felt the weight of the bed they were shifting, she glanced back at the Capsule leader who was now inches away from her face and his arm around her shoulder blades. A Casanova smirk plastered on his face.

  
  


"Oh but it is if you only knew the things I imagined-"

  
  


"Move that hand or lose it." Kei cut him off coldly, knowing just what the perverted teenger was insinuating.

  
  


"You don't mean that." He answers back breezily to Kei. Overhearing all this, Nimura's expression became deadpanned as he stared at the door. Is his best friend serious right now? Can he for once stop thinking about his sexual hormones with a girl and look at the bigger picture of what is happening right now!? Jesus Christ this is annoying.

  
  


Nimura froze the moment a feminine yell came from inside the room along with a commotion of noise and Kaneda's cheers. A second later a loud thundering smack was heard, making the burgundy haired teen jolt, and the next thing was a crash heard like someone was thrown towards it. Nimura instantly opened the door, startling Kei who was sitting up on the bed, then looked towards Kaneda who was on broken wooden boxes and other miscellaneous material, yet the latter was smirking at Kei.

  
  


Kaneda held the gun cockily,the gun that Kei had in her jacket, making her and Nimura gawk in surprise. "What-! When did you-!?" She searched her pockets as she stared him down. Kaneda began his move towards...Nimura and the door. 

  
  


"Don't worry. _We're_ just borrowing it for awhile." Kaneda chimes as he looks back while grabbing Nimura's jacket.

  
  


" _We're?_ Kaneda what the hell do you mean?" Nimura starts off, before utter realization hits him, and Kaneda shoves him out the room along with him, just as Kei begins to run.

  
  


"HEY!!! Wait a minute! Where are you taking Nimura!?" Kei shouts to go after them, but Kaneda slams the door shut, putting a wooden plank to seal it completely.

  
  


"Kaneda what the fuck are you doing?" Nimura questions with a mixture of astonishment and suspicion. 

  
  


"Relax Mura, we're getting our bikes back from that place." He says calmly, beginning to run until he sees Nimura not doing the same.

  
  


"What!? No Kaneda we can't leave her here locked up like a prisoner-!" Nimura tries to reason but Kaneda grabs the former's sleeve to go with him.

  
  


"Come on Mura let's go...Oh by the way," Kaneda gazes at the door, "Keep your clothes on for me til I get back!"

  
  


Nimura simply dreaded as Kaneda pulls him to run. Great. Just fantastic. Just what other shenanigans await him tonight? He's so tired from the whole day and night, that now sleep would be nice. He cancels out his thoughts as he and Kaneda enter the sewers, using it the same way to head back. Nimura is on high end stress mode right now.

  
  


**~~TETSUO~~**

  
  


"Hey we're here." The clown biker beside Tetsuo tells him. Yet the teenager is whining in agony from his excruciating headache. "Hey I said-"

  
  


"Shut the fuck up...it makes my head hurt when you talk…" Tetsuo interjects, saying it low so that his headache won't pound from other voices including him. As one of the clown bikers went inside the base and explain everything that happened, the leader, Joker looks at his subordinate with incredulous eyes.

  
  


"What the hell do you mean Chip's head exploded!?" Joker demands, mood turning sour at a gang member's murder. "Who killed him? Your brought him here!?"

  
  


"Ah...well…" The biker was unsure on how to demonstrate it in words. He glanced at the entrance and pointed towards it to allow Joker and the Clowns to see an angry teenager in disheveled hospital scrubs marching towards them, and a clown member trailing behind carefully

  
  


"HEY!!! ARE YOU GONNA FUCKING KEEP ME WAITING!?" Tetsuo hollered as he glared at the lot cantankerously. 

  
  


"Wait a minute it's that weird kid from before!" One of them called out.

  
  


"What are you talking about?" Their leader questioned. This lead to the other biker talking to him to go up to Joker and whisper what their comrade means.

  
  


Debris started darting around everywhere in the structure, making the gang blare out in surprise at what was going on.

  
  


"Shit!" Joker swore as he got up immediately to counter Tetsuo. He took the move to get just a bit closer to the angsty teen. "How the hell did you get here!?"

  
  


The few gang members were worried for their leader who was within Tetsuo's unknown killing range. "Think you're tough huh?" Joker adds while taking a bowling pin. "Well I'm gonna break you into two!" 

  
  
  


Tetsuo let's out a war cry, unleashing another wave of his power to intimidate Joker and the rest of the gang. He took bowling balls from the ceiling, had then levitate above the clown leader before making them crash violently on the floor, forcing Joker to step back.

  
  


" **NOW WHERE THE FUCK ARE MY DRUGS!?** " Tetsuo screamed, his fists clenching to the point his hands began to bleed. He eyed the bikers with intense anger and venom. He wanted nothing more than the drugs to help his pain, and to make them submit to him unconditionally. 

  
  


He knew in that moment, the Clowns were hopeless.

  
  
  


**~~???~~**

  
  


The nighttime sky of Neo-Tokyo was overshadowed by the heavy pollution, and neon lights coloring the megapolis. He took a drag of his cigarette, exhaling a puff of smoke afterwards. A bored expression on his face as he continued to stare into the corrupt megapolis with a disappointed glint in his eyes.

  
  


The moment he heard footsteps from behind, his ears twitched, while his expression formed to a grimace. He is aware of who else is with him right now.

  
  


"Beautiful night isn't it?" A firm yet benevolent voice asked out loud to the younger male, who simply looked behind him to stare into the eyes of a doctor and resistance agent. The young male flicked his cigarette off the roof.

  
  


"You call this depressing shithole a 'beautiful night?' Nakamura come on be realistic." The male quips, shaking his head as he fully turns his body to Nakamura.

  
  


Nakamura scoffs lightly at that, before waving his hand in a gesture. "Hey now, no need for the bitterness. I just had to check up on you. Afterall you have been here quite a while **Kuro**." The older male replies, looking at him warmly.

  
  


"Yeah yeah whatever." He rolls his eyes as he looks back at the supertall skyline of Neo-Tokyo. "Anything regarding Kazunari's movement?"

  
  


Nakamura cleared his throat to respond with confirmation. "The last time I was told from my sources, he was in the twentieth district, heading into some sort of pharmacy. Although the products he purchased aren't known." Kuro takes in Nakamura's words seriously. He closes his eyes to think about how he plans to hunt down the devil of a bitch knowing his untraceable movements. Then a thought came to mind.

  
  


"How's Nimura?" Kuro asked, turning to stare at Nakamura for the question. Said male was slightly shocked by the question. 

  
  


"He's better. Yet I still need to watch over him." Nakamura replies, not expecting another answer.

  
  


"Yeah, something _you_ and that _old lady_ failed to do when he got taken by that fucking asshole." Kuro speaks with a lingering anger. Nakamura sighs with dread.

  
  


"You already know it wasn't our fault! We had no idea that Kazunari would find him and then immensely torture him." The older male defends, yet Kuro rolls his eyes irritably.

  
  


"Then you should've tried harder to help Nimura. Because now that kid you're watching over got PTSD." Kuro retorts.

  
  


"Kuro," Nakamura's tone changed to a stern and warning one, "You know since that day I have regretted everything and could still not function after seeing him taken by that man and then nearly mutilated to the point he was at the brink of death. That's why I sent him off to the Resistance alongside me. To help him, to have more allies, and to protect him. That's something I've done to help." Nakamura explains, looking at the younger male in the eyes.

  
  


Kuro sighs with a hint of melancholy. While he considers Nakamura's words, he knows that this was something that will now lead to more problems. "But...even if what you've done seems good and may help the kid...it's something both **_Kiyomi_ ** and **_Nomura_ **wouldn't have wanted." 

  
  


After Kuro said that, a solid air of solemness grew between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wait...what's this? Who is this Kuro? Is he apart of the Resistance since he is with Nakamura? Just who are the two characters he mentioned? And is Kaneda still mad at Nimura?
> 
> Where's the help sign!? 
> 
> NEXT TIME ON CHAPTER 21!!!


	21. Start Of Chaos (Part II)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The raid of the resistance hideout has made everyone separate. Yet a jumpy Kaneda takes Nimura with him to get his bike back while locking up Kei. Tetsuo on the other hand...has not only killed a clown member, but also made the rival gang fully submit to him as their new leader and indulged himself with all of their drugs. While Nimura and Kaneda find themselves into complete trouble due to a certain hot headed teen's stubbornness, Nimura ends up doing something he thought he has never done...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO...I apologize for the delay and not updating this story due to the way life is throwing obstacles and tasks at me. But I have not given up on my fanfictions. So this chapter will be very, very long...like VERY long. Plus there will be subtle nouns and words in bold so be aware. Enjoy!
> 
> I DO NOT OWN AKIRA. ALL CHARACTERS AND MATERIALS ARE OWNED BY OTOMO KATSUHIRO.  
> OCS BELONG TO ME

**~~JIN~~**

  
  


Speeding down the empty and underdeveloped roads, Jin made his way into the abandoned area. The wind furiously whipping at his spiked up hair. Even through his darkened goggles, his scowl was easily seen. He hadn't been in the best mood in a long time. And it worsened when his reckless gang leader Kaneda got involved with some shit with that girl and older man. And if that didn't make things more funny, Nimura's involvement with him just adds more things to it. 

  
  


Whether it's Tetsuo's mysterious disappearance, or that man and woman's fucking secretive mission, he knows something big was up...just like those times Nimura left out at night from their group for doing something else.

  
  


He wasn't happy that Nimura was hiding things from him. From the gang. He's still mad at said burgundy haired teen due to leaving from his birthday that night 5 months ago and he came back unknowingly, only seeing him again when he woke up that morning to meet the gang. Since that night he had been holding a grudge on Nimura for being secretive of his deed and left on the night of his birthday for something 'about meeting with Kenji'. He was upset Nimura did that, and for someone who never likes to hide things from the gang or lie, Jin notices just how hypocritical Nimura became these past 6 months, and the thought made his blood fucking boil with seething anger.

  
  


He sucked his teeth, before rounding a corner and drives to the right. Jin didn't know where he was going, it was a drive out to clear his thoughts. But in the distance he saw another bike and...something else he couldn't properly describe. He slowed his bike down to catch onto the sight. When he caught up, a multitude of emotions travelled all over his figure. The bike of the dead clown went ignored as Jin took in the vile, bloody, organ splattered, almost headless, foul and iron smelling body of the deceased clown member. Jin stood there, utterly frozen as he is taking in the gruesome imagine, sending a chill down his spine for the amount of violence there.

  
  


"Just...what the fuck!? What happened to this guy!? How did he end up like that!?" Jin yelled out to no one in particular, eyes still wide from so much blood and gore displayed viciously on the pavement. 

  
  


How the fuck did he end up like this? Not even baseball bats, crowbars, or clubs can do this much damage to a person's body, not even a gun. Is there a kind of wild animal on the loose? But even so, they wouldn't last a week in this goddamn filthy, polluted, and shitty trash hole that houses 20+ million people. So was a person capable of such carnage? How the hell was that even possible?

  
  


Jin glanced down to the pieces of helmet that was also filled with blood, and the moment he saw a unique clown piece, his blood went cold. "Wait...this guy...this guy was the same clown who Tetsuo assaulted for getting attacked last night…" Jin trailed off, breath cut off as he stared at the mutilated and unrecognizable corpse to the naked eye. But his thoughts were in disarray, because something was not adding up.

  
  


**~~NIMURA~~**

  
  


"Oh my god I swear…!" Nimura hissed as he was running down the sewage corridor looking for Kaneda. His best friend made him annoyed because Kaneda continued to go down the wrong path. Being with The Resistance for 5 months, he was taught on one try to use the sewage tunnels and practiced again to know every single spot and sewage exit. 

  
  


Kaneda, as stubborn and smug as he is, went off on his own after Nimura was checking for any spies or suspicious activity and made sure to check his gun clip before going down. He told Kaneda to stay put and let him guide the way. But Noooo, instead his best friend ditches him and goes off on his own to find his 'beautiful precious bike'. He swears his bike would get stolen or found when that whole area was off limits and restricted to civilians, not to mention Nimura hid both of their bikes behind the cargo under large sheets. 

  
  


Now running down the repulsive and disgusting sewers, footsteps making loud stomp sounds that echoed off the metal and dirtied walls, finding Kaneda was the top priority. He lost Tetsuo today to the military, he wasn't going to lose another childhood friend to the enemy he's fighting against. Continuing to run straight ahead he hears someone puffing out air loudly before a familiar voice shout out.

"It's gotta be here somewhere!"

  
  


Nimura instantly stopped in his tracks and glanced left. There he is, Kaneda Shotaro in the flesh, who just swore after finding another crossway path. Without a second thought, Nimura turns and runs towards an unfocused Kaneda.

  
  


"I'm going up to the street level and look for my bike there. That'll take less time-!"

  
  


"KANEDA!!!" The aforementioned teen's words were abruptly cut off and jumped at the thunderous shout of his name and whipped his head behind to see Nimura running at him. "What the hell Kaneda!? I said don't move! And you do the opposite-"

  
  


"Shhhhhhh!" Kaneda shushed the burgundy hair teen's verbal onslaught. "Mura I never knew you could yell, but shit can you at least lower your voice which is echoing the walls." Kaneda whines, rubbing his ears. Nimura rolled his eyes before clearing his throat, but Kaneda stopped him. "I don't know about you, but I'm trying to find my bike since you're unwilling to go with me."

  
  


"Unwilling? What the- Kaneda," Nimura closed his eyes and puts both of his hands at the junction between his nose, eyes, and head with frustration. He exhales a heavy sigh, recollecting his thoughts to respond. "Kaneda, what I'm trying to do is for us to tread carefully and guide the way to both our bikes, but what you're doing right now-" The moment he picked his head up and opened his eyes, Kaneda was gone and already up the ladder, making Nimura squawk at his rudeness.

  
  


' _This damn idiot like come on!'_ Nimura seethes in his thoughts, blood pressure rising and now irritated as he followed after Kaneda. The one thing the burgundy haired teen knows is this hatch isn't one of the exits he goes out of. And the moment Kaneda opened it and picked up the circular metal, he got out and stood up.

  
  


"We're outta here. Just why I am still thinking about that dumb girl?" Nimura hears Kaneda say, to which the former retorts.

  
  


"She has a name. And also because you're a coldhearted jerk." Nimura jabs, while he climbed up the ladder. And the moment he got out of the sewers, his heart stopped and blood went cold as he looked at his surroundings. He knew this passage wasn't the exit, but he didn't think this would lead to the middle of the Olympic Stadium.

  
  


"What the- this isn't the exit. This is the middle of the Olympic Site. Fuck we're way off. I'd thought we'd be near the west gate." Kaneda muses out, realizing his mistake.

  
  


"That's why I told you to let me guide the way because I know where the west gate sewage exit is at! Now we need to get out of here and head back into the sewers before we get caught. This place is crawling with soldiers-!" Kaneda sneezed so suddenly that he dropped the sewer hatch. The circular metal hatch slammed back onto the sewer hole, creating a booming klong sound. Nimura choked slightly and froze, his throat stopped moving, airways locked. Kaneda conveyed a look of shock and fear because he didn't put it back properly and it therefore fell harshly.

  
  


"What was that?" A voice questioned not far from their location, and they realized a soldier was nearby, or a platoon. The sudden urge to protect Kaneda and escape spiraled into Nimura, and he swiftly grabbed Kaneda's arm and yanked him forward, shielding both of them behind a structure to prevent getting caught. The immediate action and pace appalled and shook the Capsule Leader, but when Kaneda looked at Nimura's expression, his face resembled the same as the burgundy haired teenager's.

  
  


Fear. Nothing diluted, no other emotion. Just complete fear. 

  
  


Kaneda felt Nimura's hand trembling, and what sent Kaneda to more shock, he witnesses Nimura take out a gun from his leather jacket as the soldier's footsteps come closer. Was he-!? Was he planning to shoot them!? Would Nimura do that!?

  
  


While Kaneda can decipher what fear is and how it felt like, the burgundy haired teen couldn't conclude what this emotion was. This was a foreign feeling, that was strange, uncomfortable, and cold. Nimura was on high end stress. He was uncertain of the outcome, hypertensive as he tightly held his gun in his pale hands. If he was going to shoot them, he knew he would get injured in the process since the soldiers have bigger guns. Nimura began to sweat, his heartbeat drumming in his ears as if it were right next to him. His finger on the trigger the closer the soldiers were getting. He was preparing to shoot them. He was going to kill them to protect Kaneda and himself and there was no other option, feeling awful and terrified. 

  
  


The whirring and engine of a helicopter abruptly broke the dreadful tension on both boys, causing the suspicious soldiers to forget about their hiding spot and attend to the presence of the large helicopter.

  
  


"The Colonel has landed!" One of them calls as they head over. Nimura now faces the said aircraft, the wheels moving out to land.

  
  


"The Colonel…" He heard Kaneda trail off, a tone of bitterness at mentioning the high rank officer's title. Nimura knew who he was. In fact, he's one of the Resistance's top enemies, Colonel Shikishima. 

  
  


**~~KEI~~**

  
  


After rapidly pulling the door multiple times in different angles, the object holding the door from the outside finally snapped, and the door was pulled back hard that the impact sent Kei downward, landing next to her bed after she yelped. When she got up, anger and agitation was extremely visible on her expression, and she dusted herself off before stomping out the clammy pigsty room.

  
  


"He's such a JERK!!!" She yells vehemently before running down the very same path Nimura and Kaneda ran down to the sewer system. She couldn't believe it. Kaneda had locked her in and took her gun. For what purpose!? Does he even know the trouble he's causing right now? And why didn't Nimura stop him when he was with him!? That did not make any sense at all.

  
  


Even if those two are close and have a brotherly childhood friendship, Nimura should have stopped Kaneda from going anywhere. Kei fumed, letting out air through her nose before coming to the same sewer hole the three of them came out from earlier. She climbed down the hole before closing the hatch above her. She began running at a brisk pace, her nerves on fire from anxiety and fury at Kaneda's actions.

  
  


"I do not believe this!" She lets out sprinting through the systematic sewer tunnels. "I have to find the both of them before that moron messes everything up! And I am going to give Nimura an earful for not helping out!" She continued to run across an intersection with a bridge, where sewage tunnels meet. Shehopes Nimura lead him to the west gate exit since she and Ryu showed him this underground system of travel, and while Nimura practiced it before and had managed to know the way in and out, her gut was telling her otherwise.

  
  


**~~TETSUO~~**

  
  


The chatter of the bikers, whom he made submit to him, were just going in one ear and out the other. But that didn't matter, all he cared for is the large pile of drugs laid out over the table, all for him to take. He felt amazing, like something inside of him released this desire, the desire for power, drugs, and greed, and oh he wanted more. So much more. He has this strange, yet growing power flooding him, and he felt real good about how powerful he is and where he's standing right now. And it starts by being the new King of the Clowns. 

  
  


He immediately downed the drug he had in his hand, before drinking it down, what felt like his 1st pill in his illusion, was really his 12th pill he took.

  
  


"He can take on all of that?" One of the Clowns gangsters asked bewildered as he zeroed in between the large stack of drugs and Tetsuo.

  
  


"$3,500.00's worth gone...just like that." Another one responds, just as surprised. Joker shifted in his seat, skeptical yet disappointed in just how he was forced to give up his leadership to this hot tempered, bewildering brat who once was a member of their rival gang. Now he is simply observing what Tetsuo would do for this gang.

  
  


"Damn, having him as our boss is gonna be expensive." A third Clown member exclaims, as he watches the delinquent teenager throws his head back in relaxation from popping the pill.

  
  


"Shut up," Tetsuo starts off, a smug expression plastered on his face. "The only reason you're alive is because I let you live." The room went quiet again after Tetsuo stated this decree. Within the teen's corrupt and malevolent mind, he now had the clowns in the palm of his hand, he can now show everyone who's boss and who is on top, especially to the one person he resents most, **Kaneda**. 

  
  


He'll show just how much his childhood friend is weak, and how much stronger he is than Kaneda. And Nimura, and the rest of his former gang. He's on top now, and he gets to call the shots here. He knows the Capsules got a whole stack of drugs that was being circumvented through the black market-

  
  


"Ah," A hedonistic grin formed on his face as he faced Joker, the latter becoming unsettled. "Say Joker, you know a man named Kenji?" 

  
  


**~~NIMURA & KANEDA~~**

  
  


The loud whirring of the helicopter as it landed caused the burgundy haired teen to pull Kaneda, much to The Capsule Leader's surprise and the duo ran out of sight.

  
  


The chopper door opened, revealing Colonel Shikishima stepping out and observing his surroundings. A military soldier appeared before him to greet the aforementioned male.

  
  


"Colonel, Sir!" One of them shouts in respect of his title. The Colonel opens his mouth and commences an order, but it was inaudible as the propelling motor of the helicopter prevented any words getting through.

  
  


"I beg your pardon sir…!" The soldier asked as he apologized for not hearing him. The Colonel says something again, but the helicopter and it's motor prevented any words of what the higher rank was saying. Doctor Onishi and one of his medical subordinates also stepped out the helicopter, looking around the base in the middle of the stadium.

  
  


" **THE LIGHTS YOU IDIOT! TURN OFF THE LIGHTS!!!** " The Colonel boomed, grabbing his subordinate in an aggressive manner while pointing at the lights, making the soldier yelp and tremble at the action.

  
  


"Yessir!" The soldier replies reflectively to the volatile figure. But Colonel Shikishima was relentless on this matter.

  
  


"DO YOU WANT EVERYONE FOR MILES AROUND TO KNOW ABOUT OUR SECRET BASE!?" The soldier being yelled at, along with his comrades shuddered at his tone.

  
  


The two delinquent teens run through military vehicles, remaining within the shadows. Nimura, still clutching his gun as he runs beside Kaneda, trying his best to get Kaneda and himself out of this birdcage alive.

  
  


"Me, and my shadow." He muses while facing where the direction of the Colonel is presumed to be. "Wherever I go, that skinhead shows up." Nimura simply huffs at his childhood friend's little complaint.

  
  


"Technically, we stepped into enemy territory Kaneda. At this point, Colonel Shikishima has a big shadow over Neo-Tokyo politics and the rotten metropolis itself." Nimura responds as they catch a small breather behind a military vehicle.

  
  


"Seeing how you said his last name with his high ass rank, you and those guys you and Kei are with have a score to settle with him." Kaneda stares at Nimura's gun before retracting his eyes back to said teen. "You and those guys plan on killing him?"

  
  


To any other person, the question sounded like a decision on whether or not they would kill the person and what would be the outcome. But Nimura knew this question has a deeper meaning to it. The question and the tone to it, it was testing Nimura's mortality, path, sanity, mind, and mentality. It was a question that meant how would he feel if he accomplished such a feat like that? What would it do to his mental image and sense of morals? How good or bad would he be of a person?

  
  


Nimura wills himself to not kill. He is putting on the mindset that he will not be a murderer. He will not murder for the hell of it He doesn't like the idea of hearing the word murder or has never done something borderline to brutality, like how Tetsuo did to that Clown member. The burgundy haired teen didn't find killing right. But, now certain circumstances have changed after now affiliating himself with the Resistance. He knows targets like Colonel Shikishima will have to be put down for the count, but he isn't judge, jury, and executioner. He will let the Resistance decide that.

  
  


"While he is a major obstacle and target of the Resistance, I currently have no reason to take those matters into my hands. I don't want to necessarily stain my hands with blood. But now I'm not sure if that's possible with the current situation they are in." Nimura sighs as he looks off in the distance briefly while Kaneda stares at him. "Come on, we've had enough trouble tonight."

  
  


Kaneda nods. "I don't want to deal with that damn skinhead-" His words were cut short when he kicked a bucket and landed a few feet away from the duo. Much to their horror, a light was shone upon the bucket that was kicked. Nimura and Kaneda hid behind a tank, both trembling at a new situation they're caught in now.

  
  


"Shit!" Kaneda hissed, muscles tense as he gritted his teeth for the outcome. Nimura, trying to keep a calm face shook as the light began to move. Their faces turn to dread when the light was edging closer to Kaneda's right. Nimura pulled out a flashbang from his jacket pocket and put his finger on the hook, prepared to launch the weapon at the soldiers once the light hit Kaneda's body. Trepidation tightened the atmosphere as the tension was about to rip like an earthquake.

  
  


The instant Kaneda gulped and the light hit his shoulder, Nimura pulled the hook off and launched the flashbang towards the light before he grabbed Kaneda's wrist and tugged him forward. A bang thundered the area with a white flash, and shouts of anguish and cries were heard behind the duo.

  
  


"INTRUDERS!!! WE HAVE SIGHTINGS OF INTRUDERS IN THE STADIUM!!!" An officer boomed, sprinting forward with his recovering platoon who were blinded by the flashbang the burgundy haired teen threw at them. "DON'T LET THEM ESCAPE!!!"

  
  


Nimura, running alongside Kaneda, kept his ground as the panic and anxiety were reaching new heights within his mind and body. The rosary around his neck kept rattling and shaking with the increase of his speed, running with Kaneda to find a way out of this damn base. 

  
  


"WE CAN'T LET THOSE INTRUDERS ESCAPE!!! CATCH THEM!!!" An officer in the distance hollers out. Out of breath, anxious, and overwhelmed, the two teens continue to sprint for their lives.

  
  


"Shit!" Kaneda curses from almost tripping from a loose shoe lace. He gets back to his running pace beside Nimura.Their run doesn't last long as they find themselves at a deadend path, a railing that divides them between the concrete foothold, and the overpass of the sewers. The two stand at the edge of the railing, hearing the running footsteps of multiple soldiers coming their way. Nimura felt his anxiety spike up to numerous heights. There was nowhere to run! Nowhere else to run! And the jump down to the sewers is deep, not like a regular fall from a house or from a fire escape. 

  
  


Nimura whipped his head at Kaneda who only stared at the approaching military. Nimura glanced at them while hiding his gun. ' _Shit! I have to think of something to get us the fuck out of here-!'_

  
  


His thoughts were interrupted when Kaneda grabs his wrist and made them both jump off the railing to the canal, much to the burgundy haired teen's utter shock.

  
  


"GERONIMO!!!" Kaneda screams out, echoing the sewer canal while both him and Nimura land feet first into the brown murky water. With no time to waste, Nimura hastily pulled Kaneda to his feet and rushed inside the sewer pipe. Kaneda bangs his head on the pipe, making him groan.

  
  


"Neda come on there's no time for that!" Nimura shoves him into the circular narrow tunnel, with Kaneda swearing at him like a maniac. But Nimura was so focused on him and his best friend escaping, he didn't acknowledge his pounding heart racing through his veins, the shaking of his fingers and body, the sweat beading and dripping all over his head, his breathing immensely erratic akin to a person having an anxiety attack- hell he's probably already having one right now but the adrenaline in his body is very high, his body functions and nervous system isn't reacting to it now. 

  
  


"THOSE TWO WENT INTO THE SEWAGE PIPE!!! OPEN FIRE!!!" Nimura's veins felt like lead from that soldier's order. In the exact moment, assault rifles began firing into the pipe, and Nimura's first instinct was to shield and protect Kaneda. Nimura kept Kaneda's head down as numerous bullets were flying and ricochetting inside. One bullet went through the side of Nimura's jacket and out the other side, luckily not hitting his body and back. But the next bullet ricochet off an angle of the pipe and grazed Nimura's arm, causing him to gasp and look to see a scratch on his upper arm, the bullet shredding a piece of the jacket sleeve and undershirt.

  
  


"MAN YOU ASSHOLES DON'T KNOW WHEN TO GIVE THE FUCK UP-!" Kaneda's enraged rant stopped when he saw his childhood friend clutching his arm. "NIMURA-!"

  
  


"I'm fine just keep moving!" Nimura shouts back, swiftly throwing his last flashbang, bouncing off the walls and hitting a soldier in the nose. It explodes on the ground, blinding the soldiers. Their cries of pain, shock, and anguish echoed through the pipe, making the two teens speed up their running with their now wet, sweaty, stinky and dirty clothes.

  
  


**~~COLONEL SHIKISHIMA~~**

  
  


After receiving a report from a subordinate of his sighting two intruders in the stadium and ordering them to be killed, the military figure entered the facility with Dr. Onishi and his colleagues. 

  
  


Once inside, they walked further into a military-scientific firm of sorts and stood on top of a large elevator shaft. The temperature dropped after stepping inside the mysterious base.

  
  


"Colonel Sir, you'll need these to put on." A soldier advised while showing his superior a specially designed brown coat, to which the Colonel took and put on. The elevator shaft started to descend, going to the designated destination of interest. When they got to the bottom level of the facility, the scientist and Colonel Shikishima went down the hall through a door entering a larger room with a compartment sector. The scientists went into that smaller monitoring room while the Colonel and the soldier went towards the tightly secured door.

  
  


The scientists including Dr. Onishi turned on each and every electronic and monitoring systems which were all wired and connected to the room next door.

  
  


"Level ten is at 140 degrees Kelvin. Level nine at 118 degrees Kelvin, level six at 62 degrees Kelvin, level five at 42 degrees Kelvin. Level three at 20 degrees Kelvin. Level two at 2 degrees Kelvin," A top scientist states as he reads the data from the system. "Level one at .005 degrees Kelvin. What are the readings of the Dewar Walls of each room?"

  
  


"Is everything reading normal?" Doctor Onishi asked as he went to look at the computer. 

  
  


"It's perfect sir." His colleague responds with confirmation. Nodding with his partner, Onishi stepped out to see the Colonel.

  
  


"Colonel!? Where are you sir!?"

  
  


"He's in there,doctor!" The soldier calls out to the scientist. And indeed he was inside on his own. The new room the Colonel was in, was extremely bitter and cold. Wires, plugs, and other advanced electronic equipment was seen connected to a very large dome-like sphere of sorts, which was releasing cold air into the atmosphere. Colonel Shikishima firmly glared at the giant mysterious structure while footsteps of Dr. Onishi were heard from behind.

  
  


"What a disgrace! They were afraid...ashamed...they chose to conceal it...they buried the roots of a great civilization. Turned their backs on what science had to offer them...and tried to seal away the hole they had torn open with their own hands!" The Colonel announced, a tone of resentment and disappointment while he stares at the chamber which has the number **28** on it. 

  
  


"To make matters worse, they were all puppets! Tools and puppets to that same **_man_ ** who ruled Japan with an iron fist and corruption! No...it was **_All_ ** their faults for bringing down Japan to it's knees and causing this tragedy! **_They_ ** were the ones who destroyed Tokyo, and created this mess!" The authoritarian official snapped, his tone growing venomous.

  
  


He wasn't going to let **_them_ ** ever return to the politics of Neo-Tokyo. He will scope each and every one of those malicious **_people_ ** down one by one if he has to. Whichever member is out there, will be locked behind bars.

  
  


**~~NIMURA & KANEDA~~**

  
  


Nimura's heart was beating fast, too fast he was nervous to develop more stress. And despite being able to protect Kaneda from getting shot, it didn't help the fact that they were still being chased by the military albeit they were further away. Running through the nefarious and filthy sewage system that is their only chance of escape at this point, the smell and atmosphere alone wanted to make the burgundy haired teen gag.

  
  


Kaneda, just as out of breath as his childhood friend, trudged forward in his soaked and now filthy sneakers along with his khakis. The shouts of the military soldiers far behind only added irritation. 

  
  


"Man those fuckers never give up…" He mutters for Nimura to hear. The aforementioned teenager huffed out loud before they found another entryway deeper into the sewage complex. When they got out, the duo found themselves in a large river off brown sewage water and a large gate fence blocking their path.

  
  


"Damn it...this was our only way out and if we head out the opposite direction," Nimura points opposite of the gate showing the long hallway. "The military will be waiting for us to capture or kill us."

  
  


Kaneda clenched his fists at Nimura's analysis, knowing the current situation they are in got worse. Kaneda was scared, regardless of how much emotion he's suppressing inside right now and how angry he looks, Kaneda was scared that they would actually get caught. He was more worried for Nimura at this rate and if anything were to happen to him, he wouldn't forgive himself.

  
  


Nimura heard a buzzing-whirring like noise down the hall, and it was heading in their direction. His heart started beating rapidly once again after he had calmed down. The animosity and tension in the air grew heavier that it even snapped Kaneda out of his guilty thoughts.

  
  


"What the hell is that?" Nimura spoke up, surprised how unsure his tone was. Kaneda began heading to the fence, dragging Nimura with him as they brace themselves.

  
  


"Kaneda what are you planning-"

  
  


"Nimura let me handle this! Try to take down that gate with something but let me take care of this!" The burgundy haired teen stares at Kaneda with a bewildered expression before it turns to shock. Nimura realized what Kaneda was planning to do. He was planning to sacrifice himself as the teen pull out the gun he took from Kei. Nimura shook his head in protest at Kaneda's plan before the buzzing flying vehicles came into vision.

  
  


"Kaneda no wait stop-!"

  
  


"So you guys won't give up huh?" Kaneda pulls out the gun as he smirks at the military in the flying buzzers approaching. The soldier fired the machine gun aiming for Kaneda but said soldier was shot in the head after a gun went off. Kaneda's eyes widened after he dodged the bullets and witnessed the soldier die and crash into a wall. When he glanced at Nimura, there he was holding a beretta pistol with two hands, smoke coming out of the gun. But the astonishing, appalled, and traumatized expression Nimura made was what made Kaneda froze.

  
  


"Oh...oh my god. I-I...I killed him…! I fucking killed him! No no no…" Nimura went into panic as he realized he killed a soldier out of protecting Kaneda. His heart started to hurt, mind started to race, he went into hyperventilation. The blood of that soldier was now in his hands. He is a murderer...a **_murderer_ ** ...he is no better than **_Kazu-_ **

  
  


"NIMURA!!!" Kaneda screams after he shoot the flying buzzer pilot in the arm and drags Nimura for cover when the second buzzer crashes into the fence gate. Kaneda looks at Nimura and is appalled to see a pale and petrified look on the burgundy haired teen's face.

  
  


"Nimura! Nimura, look at me! You did nothing wrong alright!? You did nothing wrong man! Pull yourself together and worry about that later! Let's get out of here!" Kaneda urges as he lifts Nimura up from the murky water and they began running through the broken fence. Even as Nimura acknowledges his childhood friend's words, the shooting of the soldier from his pistol still stays rooted in his mind. It was a tragic thing he committed, one where he feels that no matter how hard he tries to erase it out of his mind, or no matter how many times he washes scrubs his hands thinking he is clean of his crime, the murder and blood of the soldier will always remain fresh within his mind.

  
  


The duo hear a third flying buzzer hot on their trail, before the soldier began firing multiple bullets from the mini-gun. 

  
  


"Fuck!" Kaneda curses as he pulls the still traumatized Nimura away from the line of fire. The splosh of water by the bullets and Kaneda's yanking snapped Nimura out of his trance and remembered the danger they are still facing. Picking up speed to get his legs to move he and Kaneda bolted down the large sewer tunnel with the lone flying buzzer trying to execute them. Yet his mind was divided, one half focusing on getting Kaneda and him to escape, but the other half still was in a mode of stress and trauma due to him murdering the military soldier. This was his first kill, and he felt sick to the stomach. He wanted to throw up, he wanted to not remember his actions.

  
  


" _Why should you feel remorse? It was either that soldier's life or you and your friend's life. You murdered, yet you also defended yourself. It's best to release your inner self boy._ " Nimura flinched when a heavy voice spoke to him, yet there was no one around him other than Kaneda. Is Kazunari haunting him? Is there some ghost haunting him that is of the unknown? What the hell was that!?

  
  


"Uh?" He hears Kaneda utter out then he traces his friend's line of sight. "I can see the light! We're saved!" Kaneda exclaims while Nimura ponders as they still ran.

  
  


' _I wouldn't let our guards down yet Neda…_ ' And just after Nimura trails off in his thoughts, they see a whole sewage complex and the other side is an exit. The problem...they were standing on a sewer waterfall. He hisses anxiously.

  
  


"Looks like we scored another big goose egg." Before Nimura could react to Kaneda's words, he caught a sight of another figure across where the escape exit is. His eyes widened when he sees who the person is.

  
  


"KEI!!!" Nimura shouts loudly as said girl diverts her attention with shock at finding the duo in a dangerous situation.

  
  


"HELP US!!! SERIOUSLY COME AND GET US!!!" Kaneda screams, echoing in the sewers with Nimura clutching his rosary and pistol. His nerves were on fire.

  
  


"What are you two doing over there!?" Kei yells appalled by all of this and now dealing with another additional headache.

  
  


But none of the boys could answer her question when gunfire from the flying military vehicle was heard behind them and was shooting into the water next to them. This made Kaneda go forward and slip. 

  
  


"KANEDA!!!" The burgundy haired teenager booms as he hastily grabs Kaneda's hand to prevent him from falling. But the weight of Kaneda and himself along with the pressure and movement of the water made it impossible and therefore the both of them were slipping off. Nimura tried to keep one hand firmly gripped to whatever he was holding onto in the water while the other hand was holding Kaneda's extremely tight, almost in a death grip hold.

  
  


"CAREFUL!!!" Kei gasps out as she sees the physical turmoil the two of them are going through. The flying buzzer whirs past the two struggling teenagers before abrupting to a halt in front of Kei, which both parties shouted at each other simultaneously.

  
  


"THE ARMY!!!"

  
  


"Huh you must be a friend of theirs? Well good! Now I can kill 3 for the price of one!"

  
  


Nimura continued to fall, sliding down the waterfall. He felt Kaneda release himself from his grip" making him whip his head around only to watch in horror. Kaneda yells maniacally while he and Kei watched with newfound terror for Kaneda's reckless action. His hand caught onto the landing gears of the flying buzzer.

  
  


Nimura, took off his rosary and held it clenched within his fist. He muttered a prayer to Kami and asking strength from Lord Raijin, before he finished the prayer and leaped onto the flying buzzer to attack the soldier who was trying to shoot Kaneda with a pistol.

  
  


"What the-!" The soldier didn't react fast when Nimura landed in the makeshift cockpit and took the pilot's arm, twisting it to another angle. This elicited a scream from the soldier and he dropped his gun into the water, and then Nimura aggressively pinned the soldier with his hand behind his back. The flying buzzer began losing control due to the lack of maneuverability, this made Kaneda lose his grip on the iron landing gear and then fall into the brown disgusting water.

  
  


Hearing Kaneda's yell, Nimura kicked himself off as he saw the flying buzzer's course and fell into the water as well just right when the military vehicle exploded as it collided towards the wall.

  
  


Kei desperately began searching the water with her eyes, but became frustrated due to how cloudy and murky the water was. Then the first to pop up was Kaneda, who was coughing and hacking while swimming to the pipes Kei was on. Then Nimura pops up from the water, although throwing up from the water's atrocious smell.

  
  


"Uh- Nimura over here! Come on!" Kei urges seeing Nimura's condition hoping he could swim to where she and Kaneda were. To her luck Nimura complied as he started swimming to them.

  
  


"Ugh...I feel like I wanna die." Kaneda says with despair, spitting out the sewage water with repulsive expressions.

  
  


"That's what you get for being a dope." Kei sighs, seeing Kaneda pull out her gun while Nimura makes it to the pipes. "These tunnels are like a maze. And you thought that being down here once meant that you could find your way out? You should of let Nimura guide you out since he was taught how to use the tunnels, yet I have a feeling you didn't listen to him?" She asked as she added on.

  
  


"I told him to wait and let me do the guiding, but he wanted to listen to what he wants, and that got us into the trouble." Nimura responds, jabbing a finger at the Capsule Leader, who gives him a dirty look as a comeback.

  
  


"Hey...I used one of your bullets, don't worry I promise I'll replace it." Kaneda replies to her as he puts the gun beside her feet while looking up at her. Kei's face scrunches up with annoyance.

  
  


"Give me a break!"

  
  


The three managed to get out the tunnel and onto where both Kaneda's and Nimura's bikes were. After Kaneda uncovers his bike, Nimura has already started his with the neon purple glow off for stealth measures. At the same time Nimura felt like he was missing something. Like something important, and it made his stomach do backflips. 

  
  


"Are you sure it can fit two people?" Kei asks, hesitant in whether to join the hot headed teenager.

  
  


"Unless you weigh about 220 lbs, then yeah it should be fine, we can risk it." Kaneda replies while trying to start his bike. After a bit of swearing and angry rants his bike started. Much to Kaneda's annoyance, Kei had joined Nimura instead.

  
  


"What? You took long so she decided to go on my bike." Nimura sasses his best friend.

  
  


"Damn you- forget it let's just get outta here." Kaneda simply groans out before they rev their bikes to leave.

  
  


"Hold on tight okay?" Kei nods to Nimura's request before he takes off with Kaneda in the lead, seeing the gleaming neon lights and soaring skyscrapers of the megapolis in view.

  
  


Yet, while they left, something very important and meaningful was floating in the water. And there it was the red, brown and black beaded rosary that Nimura never got to put back on before the flying buzzer collided into the wall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nimura's first kill...I'd say this will give him plentiful nightmares, and the loss of his most prized possession, his rosary, which will only add more fuel to the fire which will become his future problems.
> 
> But who here has an OC with their own storyline and loves to make them suffer as they progress? *Raises hand* I definitely do 1000%
> 
> NEXT TIME ON CHAPTER 22 >:)

**Author's Note:**

> I don't have much to say here, but I hope you enjoy this new fanficition. Feedback and Criticism is welcomed


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